Please tell us a little about yourself.
Hello! Thank you for having me. I am a multi-genre author of 22 books. I live in the Midwest with my family and three cats. I have been writing stories since I was nine years old, and have been pursuing this crazy writing dream for a little over 25 years.
 
Tell us about your latest book.
Second Chance Heart is about a woman, Dana Nelson, who runs into her ex while on a business trip. He hurt her long ago, but they have quite a history. She doesn’t expect to still feel anything for him.
 
What do you have coming out in the future?
Well, I’m currently wrapping up edits on Upon Your Love, the third and final book of the Heiresses in Love Series. That is a Victorian romance. And I’m almost finished writing Blue Vision, a sci-fi romance, which will be the first book of the Code of Endhivar Series. I hope to have both of those released this year. I’m also working on organizing some of my backlist into combined romance anthologies, so one or more of those might come out sometime this year as well.
 
Is your book a stand-alone or a series?
Second Chance Heart is a stand-alone, though I have some series books on the market as well.
 
Why romance and what makes your particular brand of romance special?
I love romance! I just love writing about love, and I’ve always loved reading romance novels or watching romantic comedy movies. As for what makes my romance writing unique, I guess you could say that I’m not afraid to cross some lines. By that I don’t mean I write dark romance at all, but rather if there is a sensitive subject in a character’s life, I don’t sugarcoat the problem. This is who the character is, and I won’t dance around the tough issues. I guess I also like to put my characters through a lot before they get their happily ever after.
 
Is romance the only genre that you write in or do you write in other genres? If so what other genres do you write in?
Yes, I write in other genres. I have published in the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance/urban fantasy, fantasy, mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. I am always trying something new. I even have time travel and dystopian works in progress.

From where do you draw your inspiration?
I get my inspiration from life – from events in the world or the people around me. And sometimes the ideas seem to come virtually out of nowhere, even stumping me a little on their origins.
 
Do you ever base your characters on real people in your life?
I have once or twice, but I don’t do that intentionally. Most of the time, the character just comes out, surprising me in his or her own complexities.
 
What authors inspire your writing?
I have a lot of favorite authors! J.R. Ward, Chloe Neill, Kris Tualla and Nora Roberts, to name a few.
 
How have your real life experiences influenced your writing?
Oh, I think my experiences have figured a lot into my work. Whatever dark parts of my life occurred for a reason, and I use those emotions to make my characters and the stories real.
 
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I love reading, spending romantic evenings with my fiancé, and I absolutely love shopping! Oh, and I also like to cook for fun.
 
What was your road to publishing like? Tell us about it.
Crazy! LOL. In 2002, while I was in college, I set out with the intention of writing my first historical romance novel. However, that took many years to write and polish. I always knew I wanted to publish Upon Your Return traditionally, so with that project I held out for it. Around 2010, I saw the self-publishing trend really take off and I decided to try it out as well. I published a literary fiction and poetry anthology, and then I released two more volumes after that. In 2011, when I deemed UYR finally ready for the market, after a lot of work with critique partners, I started sending the book out to literary agents and publishers. While I waited to hear back from them about my historical romance, I published many other books in different genres. After receiving numerous rejections (yes, aspiring writers, that is part of the process), I decided to go a different route with UYR. I started looking for publishers that didn’t require an agent. In August of 2012, I received my first book contract. And it was so exciting! Not too long after that, I started getting ideas for the sequels. Upon Your Return was published in February of 2013, and I have been with Solstice Publishing ever since, releasing several subsequent stories and novels.
 
How did you come up with the title of your book?
Second Chance Heart actually came from the premise of the book. I wanted to see if after a lot of heartache and history, happiness between two people was possible. I didn’t even know how the book would turn out until after I finished writing it.
 
Do you read romance or do you prefer other genres?
I mostly read contemporary romance, paranormal romance or historical romance, but I also venture outside of my comfort zone now and then. Right now, I’m reading a science fiction novel.
 
What is your absolute favorite book or books and why is it special to you?
I love J.R. Ward’s Dark Lover. Throw in a grumpy, centuries-old vampire and a spitfire of a human reporter and sparks really fly! Wrath is totally my book boyfriend. (Fans herself.) And I love paranormal romance of any kind, so how can you go wrong?
 
What celebrity would you choose to play the main character(s) in the movie rendition of your book?
For Dana, I would pick Deborah Ann Woll and for Vince, probably Taylor Kinney.
 
Have you joined any writer’s groups?
I have joined the RWClist on Yahoo, keeping up with their newsletters. And I am in several writing discussion groups. I am in the Poets & Writers directory. As for major writer’s organizations, I would love to join the Romance Writers of America, but I just haven’t had the chance yet.
 
Have you won any awards for your writing?
Yes, of course. Just recently, Second Chance Heart and A Little Magick placed in the TOP 10 on the 2015 P&E Readers' Poll. Three of my books were nominated in the TRR Readers' Choice Awards for Winter 2015. I was the poetry winner of the 2015 PnPAuthors Contest. I won the Versatile Blogger Award for 2015. I received Honorable Mention in the 2014 BTS Red Carpet Book Awards. In 2014, I was a Finalist and Runner-up in the MARSocial's Author of the Year Competition. I received Honorable mention in the January 2014 Reader's Choice Award. My blogs won the Liebster Blogger Award for 2013 and 2014. I am in the Top 10 Authors on Authors Database. And I won the Great One Liners Contest on the Directory of Published Authors a couple of years ago.
 
What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
Sometimes research can be a real pain. It’s not always easy to find the answers to certain questions. And writing a love scene in a new way can be quite a challenge.
 
What is the easiest part of the writing process for you?
The best and easiest part is probably when I’m the midst of writing, tuning out the world around me, pen in hand, and the scene is flying onto the page. There I am fully immersed in the fictional world, the story building and the characters talking. It’s the greatest sense of freedom I’ll ever have.
 
Which of your characters is your favorite and why?
Fara Bellamont is still my favorite, not only because she’s the heroine of Upon Your Return, my first published historical romance novel, but also because she’s a woman out of her time. Born in Victorian France in a time where women are ‘handled’, she goes against social expectations every chance she gets. And I fully respect a woman who knows her own mind.
 
Who or what are your inspirations/influences?
I have to mention some authors here. Nora Roberts taught me not to hold back in my writing. Kris Tualla and Linda Lee Williams taught me many things, but most of all, that the best heroes are those closer to home. Also that a truly flawed hero is even better than a perfect one because he finds ways to adapt and make a life in this crazy world. J.R. Ward further taught me that vampires can be extremely sexy, in many ways. Chloe Neill taught me that a woman can really kick ass and have fangs! And finally, in the real world, I have to mention my fiancé. Without having his love, without truly ‘being in love’ (yes, there is a difference), I don’t think I could fully capture the idea of romance in my writing.
 
What is your preferred writing environment?
I can write anywhere, but I do my best writing sprawled across my bed, penning a scene in one of my journals.
 
How would you describe your writing style?
I tend to get in a character’s head a lot, so in rewrites and edits, I have to tone it down a bit. My humor is also somewhat sarcastic, so I think that comes out in my writing at times. And when describing a place, I try to write it as if I’m standing there experiencing it just as the character is. Beyond that, I think it’s hard for a writer to step back from their writing and see a ‘style’, so to speak. Though a reader may be a better judge.
 
Do you have a careful plan when plotting your stories or do you just go with the flow?
Both actually. When I first start a project, I am just going where the muse takes me. I write as many scenes as I can, but eventually I break down and do some plotting to keep focused. Then I write some more.
 
With many publishing routes available today, which felt the most reliable to you when it came to the many choices?
As I have dipped my toes in self-publishing and traditional publishing, obviously there are pros and cons to both sides. With self-publishing, you control all aspects of the experience – writing, finding an editor, looking for a cover artist, promoting your own work. With traditional publishing, they handle a lot of it for you, though you still may have to market your own books. It depends on your publisher. When I first started the self-publishing journey, I used Lulu.com to publish and distribute my books. They are a good source. For any recent self-published books, I simply used Amazon KDP, then used Smashwords to distribute to various sellers. I haven’t used CreateSpace yet, but I’m hearing great feedback about their system. In a way, I do like the hands-on experience of self-publishing. I even like designing my own covers or looking for great cover artists. And from the beginning, I have made my own book trailers. I’m not afraid to try a little DIY now and then. The important thing is that the book and everything associated with it is extremely professional. That creates a great-looking product, which, of course, looks more attractive to readers.
 
When did you know you truly wanted to give writing a shot?
I don’t think the muse gave me a choice! LOL. From childhood, I just knew I wanted to write for a living.
 
What is your favorite quote?
I have two. One is related to writing and one is romance themed:
 
​"You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you."
-Ray Bradbury
 
“A true man does not need to romance a different girl every night; a true man romances the same girl for the rest of her life.”
― Ana Alas
 
Do you have any advice for other writers and what is it?
Never give up. If this is indeed what you want, and you can’t imagine doing anything but writing as a career, then you can’t give up on your dream. The only one who loses by giving up is you. Two of the big things that got me to this point? Persistence and perseverance. Be brave enough to have both in order to follow your dreams.

​Please tell us a little about yourself.
Hello everyone! I’m Isabel Curtis, and I’m a 25 year old indie author. I started my writing career as a YA writer, but now I also write New Adult/Contemporary Romance books. I’ve spent my life mostly traveling, and reading, and during the past few years I’ve turned my passion for writing into an almost full-time job.
 
Tell us about your latest book.
My latest book is called “Unexpected Love” and it’s the first installment in the “Unexpected” series. It’s a contemporary romance which features Olly, a college student, and Daniel, a lawyer: they fall (unexpectedly) in love but at some point life gets in the way and… you have to read the book to learn how it ends.
 
What do you have coming out in the future?
I have a few YA novels I plan on publishing in late 2016, yet right now I’m more focused on the new adult genre, so I’m writing a prequel and a sequel to the “Unexpected Love” book I published in September 2015. I also have a stand alone novel I plan on publishing in a year or so.
 
Is your book a stand-alone or a series?
The new adult contemporary romance book “Unexpected Love” is part of a series, called “Unexpected”, and I plan on having at least other four books in the series publishing within the next few months.
 
Why romance and what makes your particular brand of romance special?
I started reading lots of contemporary romances a while ago and I’ve been intrigued by this genre and style ever since. I began thinking of a story line which fit perfectly in this genre and I thought I’d give it a try. I like to take on new adventures and challenges. I already have the whole “Unexpected” series sort of outlined (there will seven books in total) and a new series called “The Interpreter” which I hope to get started in 2016. Both series feature very interesting characters that I try develop in a clear and sincere way throughout the whole narration, and the readers can truly relate to some big life choices they make, and even though the good guy might sometimes, in the end, turn out to be not so good it’s pretty easy for the reader to identify himself/herself with the character… which makes it harder to hate him. My books are not just romantic stories, I try to given them a more meaningful message that can be passed on.
 
Is romance the only genre that you write in or do you write in other genres? If so what other genres do you write in?
No, I began my writing career as a young adult author and I have published a YA coming-of-age book called “Before Life Happened” which is part of the “Before” series. I plan on writing both genres for a very long time, since I have lots of stories ready to be written both in the YA and NA romance genre.

From where do you draw your inspiration?
Actually, anything can sort of trigger my imagination and lead me to create characters/stories in my head: a movie, a song, a poem, a book, an image…. As soon as the slightest plot idea is growing in my mind I let my inspiration take over and before I know it the whole book is coming to life.
 
How have your real life experiences influenced your writing?
Sometimes I find myself writing about “personal” experiences (in terms of dialogues or scenarios or places) I’ve actually lived or that have really taken place, but that’s a very minor part that influences my writing. In most cases it’s just pure imagination.
 
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I translate, I run a blog, I read, I market my books, I travel, I take my dog out for a walk, I do lots of things. But no matter what I do, I’m always thinking about writing.
 
What was your road to publishing like? Tell us about it.
I decided to self-publish right away: I’ve never wasted my time looking for an agent or a publisher, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try that in the future. But I like the idea of self-publishing, doing your own marketing/promotion, choosing your own cover, having a closer relationship with the readers… It’s a pretty interesting world and I like it, plus it’s not that hard nowadays to self-publish (there are many platforms out there that make the process pretty smooth and easy). It’s all just a matter of marketing and promotion.
 
So once my first book was finished, I hired a professional proofreader and editor. In the mean time I created the book cover, I put online my author website, built a Facebook page and my twitter account along with some other social media networks to promote my books (ie. Goodreads) and within a month the book was available on most online stores. The initial promotion came from a Goodreads giveaway I started to promote the launch of my book, and the feedbacks were great!
 
How did you come up with the title of your book?
Strangely enough, titles come pretty easy to me. The fil rouge of the “Unexpected” series is  - as you can imagine - having to face unexpected events. So in each book the protagonists find themselves experiencing surprising and unforeseen situations that lead to certain outcomes that they had not anticipated. “Unexpected Love” is all about Olly (the main character) who falls in love when she least expects it… but nothing ever goes the way we plan, after all. I’m enjoying writing this series because I get to create interesting plot twists which leave the reader always wondering what will happen next.
 
Do you read romance or do you prefer other genres?
I’ve started reading lots of romance at the beginning of last year, and I really enjoy it. Although I am also a big fan of coming-of-age YA novels and the dystopian genre.
 
What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
Writer’s Block, for sure. Sometimes I know what I want to write, I just seem to lack the words. I know where I want to go, but I don’t know how to get there and it gets frustrating. I find myself wasting so much time just staring at the blank page, writing then deleting, writing some more and then deleting again. It can go on for days.
 
What is the easiest part of the writing process for you?
I guess the easy part for me, for now, has been never running out of ideas for a new story. I’ve heard about writers who at some point in their career are stuck because they don’t know what they are going to write next, or what they want to work on because they have no inspiration. Fortunately, I’m never out of inspiration and ideas so that makes it easier to start a new project right away as soon as I’m finished with one. I think it’s very important for a writer to write, write, and write. Either if it’s just a blog post or a short random chapter. As long as if you have your inspiration by your side, you’re doing well.
 
Do you have a careful plan when plotting your stories or do you just go with the flow?
I don’t do the chapter-by-chapter outline strategy that some writers seem to love. I’ve tried that but it just isn’t for me. I usually just sit at my computer and let the words flow on their own. I might start a dialogue between two characters not having the slightest idea of where that’s going to take me, and I like it.
 
When did you know you truly wanted to give writing a shot?
It all began a few years ago, when I started have serious plot ideas for a book and I felt the need to start writing some scenes down. Then at some point I realized that my “ideas” could really turn into a full-length novel, so I said “why not?”. I started writing the whole book during my free evenings, and whenever I could take a break from my freelancing job (I used to be a full time translator). I felt like I had so much to say, and I decided that I didn’t want to keep it all to myself anymore.
 
 What is your favorite quote?
Oh, there are so many I’m having a hard time choosing just one. It depends I guess on my mood, but right now there’s a quote by Sophocles that’s popping into mind:
 
“I have no desire to suffer twice, in reality and then in retrospect."— Sophocles, Oedipus Rex
 
Do you have any advice for other writers and what is it?
First of all, I’d say: read a lot. Read books from authors who write the same genre as you, books like the one you plan on writing, and even other types of books. Just read.
Get a website, a Goodreads page, a Twitter account and a Tumblr blog.
Then, DO hire a professional proofreader/editor to help you with any typos or grammar errors you might have missed, readers hate that kind of stuff and might influence their reviews.
But in the end the best advice I feel like giving is just this one: write, and do it for yourself. If you feel that’s your vocation, don’t give up. 

 
Wild Card Question.
As an author, what is the one question that you wish people would ask you, but no one ever has and what would your answer be to that question?
 
Why did you decide to publish under a pen name?
 This is a pretty interesting question, I would sort of have to psychoanalyze myself and try to figure out why I don’t want people to know who is the real person behind the books I write. I’m about to give you a pretty complicated and messed up answer, so I apologize from the beginning if you won’t be able to follow my train of thought. Just know that it makes total sense to me.
 
Truth is, no one in my family knows about this passion of mine and when I started writing I never told anyone that this was what I really wanted to do. I guess time passed and it became harder to let them know about my “parallel life”. They just think I sit at my computer all day working… they just don’t really know what I work on. Creativity never really blossomed in my house, so I grew up believing that writing could never be regarded as a “job”.
 
Writing shows so much about the author: his/her most deepest thoughts, fears, ideas, personality… writers put so much meaning into their words that it makes them so raw and open, and vulnerable… and this scares me. If strangers read my thoughts, that’s okay because to them I’m just a writer, someone they do not know. When I read, I barely take into consideration the author, I care more about the characters and their story - and I guess my readers do the same with my books. But letting your friends and relatives read your mind through your writing gives them so much more insight on who you really are, and it gives them some kind of power over you that I do want them to have. I guess we could say that I don’t care what a stranger thinks about me, but I do care what those close to me think.
To my readers, I’m a writer.
To my family, I’m a person.
 
Plus, I like having a double life.
It makes my days so much more interesting.
 
Writing is my private world, and only those who do not know they are accessing it are welcome. 

The guest author for today on Interviews with Dante is Deborah Camp. She is a writer of Thriller/Suspense/Paranormal Romance and she has also write Western Historical Romances​. Her latest work is Through His Heart. The third novel in the Mind's Eye series.

Please tell us a little about yourself.
I’m Deborah Camp, author of more than 45 published novels, both contemporary and historical. My first book was published in 1979 by Simon & Shuster. I live in Oklahoma with my significant other and a bunch of sweet dogs.
I’m a charter member of the Romance Writers of America and I’m a member of The Authors Guild, Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc, and the Tulsa Night Writers.
When I’m not writing or reading, I’m usually volunteering with the Animal Rescue Foundation in Tulsa, rescuing pets from kill shelters and finding great new homes for them.
I’ve made my living as a writer my whole adult life, so I’m very blessed.

Tell us about your latest book.
My most current book is the third novel in my Mind’s Eye series, which features psychic detectives Trudy Tucker and Levi Wolfe. Each book is stand-alone as far as the mystery goes, but the relationship between Trudy and Levi continues to evolve throughout the series. THROUGH HIS HEART deals with the kidnapping of a child – a step-sister Levi has never met – and Trudy’s insistence in helping find the girl, even though it means dealing with Levi’s father, John Comfort. The Rev. Comfort is an evangelical TV minister who rejected Levi when he was a child, which threw Levi into a world of mental and physical torture. He hates his father and his father has no use for him, so being in the same town together is explosive for both of them.
Caught in this tangled web of deceit and hatred, Trudy and Levi try to find the girl using their psychic abilities while Levi tries not to spin out of control and into the emotionally charged chaos he’s tried so hard to avoid.

Levi and Trudy approach their work from different angles because Levi can commune with the deceased or victims of crimes and Trudy can get into the criminal’s mind and see what he sees, hear what he hears, etc. They make a formidable team.

What do you have coming out in the future?
My work-in-process is a western set in Texas, two years after the end of the Civil War. It’s a love story, dealing primarily with the aftermath of life after the war and the festering hatred, animosity, and fear most people struggled with at that time. It’s a story of redemption and how men and women deal differently with the trauma of war. Its scheduled release is in early 2016.
After that, I’ll write #4 in the Mind’s Eye series.
 
The Mind’s Eye series is different from most because it has something for everyone – romance, hot sex, suspense, danger, intrigue, and paranormal. I think I’m successful in weaving all those elements into each book. From the reviews I’ve received, readers are pleasantly surprised by how much they love the books and the series. Readers who generally don’t like to read paranormal books like them because they are more down to earth and they have complex and interesting main characters. Levi is smoking hot and Trudy is a strong woman who can handle all his complexities and hotness!
 
I focused on Levi in the first three books of the series. In the next three, I plan to focus more on Trudy and her own unique psychic talents. She’s new at the detective game and still struggling with how to use her gifts. She’s always been afraid of them and tried to deny them, but now she is attempting to embrace and control them.

Is your book a stand-alone or a series?
 My book is part of a series (The Mind's Eye series), but it is stand-alone in that a murder is solved in each one. The relationship between the characters continues throughout the series.

Why romance and what makes your particular brand of romance special?
 I write romances because that's what I like to read. My Mind's Eye series is a bit different because the psychic detectives work both "sides." She can see through the killer's eyes and he can commune with the deceased crime victims.
 
Is romance the only genre that you write in or do you write in other genres? If so what other genres do you write in?
I write romances, both contemporary and historical.

​Do you base your characters on real people?
I have done this. In the Mind’s Eye series, a character named Quintara is based on my writer mentor who ran a Writers Roundtable. She was quite a character and loved by many writers in Oklahoma. Mostly, my characters are a combination of people I’ve met or watched from a distance. Writers are observers.
 
What was your road to publishing like?
Although I have a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and I was a newspaper reporter for a few years, I knew that writing a mass market novel wasn’t the same thing. So, I took classes in novel writing at the local junior college and I joined local writing groups and critique groups. My first novel went through a critique group before I submitted it to a literary agent or a publisher. It was contracted by Simon & Shuster for their new romance line called Silhouette. Shortly after that, I signed with my first literary agent. I would say that my road to publishing was methodical and I approached it as a business I had to learn before I hung out shingle.
 
What authors inspire your writing?
I admire many authors and add new ones to the list every year. LaVyrle Spencer, Sandra Brown, Nora Roberts, Janet Dailey, Mary Stewart, C.D. Reiss, E.L. James, and Abigail Barnette are a few that have influenced me as a writer and thrilled me as a reader.
 
What is the hardest part of writing for you?
The hardest part is after a book is written and I have to find ways to let readers know about it and get them to place reviews of it online! That never gets easier and it’s very time-consuming and expensive.
 
What is the easiest part?
Dreaming up the plot and creating the character profiles. That’s always fun.
 
What is my preferred writing environment?
I like to write at home. I carry my laptop all over the place and plop down and write.
 
What influences my writing?
I like to hang my plot on a lesson or moral judgment. I don’t want to pound readers over the head with it, but I expect them to “get it” by the end of the novel. In the Mind’s Eye series, the overall lesson is to not judge people prematurely or ignorantly. In the western I’m writing now the lesson is that hatred is learned and passed on. Humans are not born hating.
I’m influenced by the wonderful people around me – my friends and my lovely, gorgeous, sexy, very own hero. We’ve been together, off and on, since I was a senior in high school and he was an older, experienced, guy with a “bad boy” reputation.  We’re definitely “on” now, but we have a long-distance relationship. I live in Oklahoma and he lives in Connecticut. Thanks to flying, texting, e-mails, and phone calls, we make it work. We hardly ever go longer than two weeks without seeing each other.
 
Do you plot or go with the flow?
I used to plot, chapter by chapter, and sometimes I still do. However, with the Mind’s Eye series, I go with the flow. I know the mystery and how it will be resolved, but I don’t know all the subplots and key scenes. So far, it’s working for me on this series.
 
Advice for new writers:
I taught novel writing and romance writing for more than 20 years at a local college, so I think I can speak to this with some confidence. I’m proud to say that several of my students are published romance writers now.
Do your homework! Study the books you love to read as if they were textbooks. Underline sections you love and ask yourself why you love them, why they’re successful, what the author did to pull your heartstrings or make you gasp. Concentrate on a good plot and don’t rely on coincidences and contrived outcomes. The conflict has to be real and wrenching and both of your main characters should wish they could extricate themselves, but they can’t because of realistic and believable reasons. If it’s something that they could deal with in a conversation or by answering a few questions, then it’s not a good conflict. Too often, I see flimsy plots that rely on a misunderstanding that could be cleared up if the heroine or hero simply questioned the other person instead of flying off into a rage or pouting.
Hire a copy-editor and a proofer! Don’t rely on good friends or relatives to tell you they love your book and didn’t find anything wrong with it. Invest in a professional editor and proof reader. They are worth every cent you pay them! Listen to their advice – especially the editor. You don’t have to make every change suggested, but listen and compromise when possible.
When you’re just starting out, find a good critique group, preferably one that consists of both published and unpublished writers who are writing the in the same genre as you. Check with local writing groups for one. If you can’t find one, start your own! Again, you don’t have to take everyone’s advice, but if several people in the group have the same problem with something in your book, you need to change it. Don’t love your book so much that you think every word and every scene is necessary. Rewriting is where you find the real gold.
 
What is your favorite quote?
Don’t wait for your ship to come in. Swim for it!

​The guest author for today on Interviews by Dante is Libby Cole. She is an author of Contemporary Romance. Her latest book is Hawaiian Heartbreak. It is the first installment in the Hawaiian Heartbreak Trilogy. Libby prefers some anonymity as an author so there is no photo with this interview. ​

​Please tell us a little about yourself.
I was a journalist before I became frustrated with seemingly only bringing people bad news. I still believe it’s an important job, but decided that wasn’t the environment I wanted to be in every day. So I moved from being a romance fan, to a romance writer. Now I bring people happy ever afters, and hopefully an entertaining thrill along the way!
 
Tell us about your latest book.
Hawaiian Heartbreak is the first in a trilogy, about a holiday fling unexpectedly turning into so much more. Some of the reviewers have said the Hawaiian setting is like a character in itself, which is exactly what I wanted! Love and wanderlust all in one, but of course, with complications along the way.
 
What do you have coming out in the future?
The rest of the trilogy, Hawaiian Healing, and Hawaiian Homecoming. Hawaiian Healing is almost ready to go to my editor now. I know that people need resolution, so I’m aiming to get all three out by January next year. No rest for the wicked!
 
Why romance and what makes your particular brand of romance special?
Romance is what I love reading, and I really believe in writing what you love. It shows in your writing if you genuinely care about the story and the characters. My brand of romance is ever-changing, but currently it’s about rediscovering yourself, finding your place in the world and what you want from it. Falling in love with someone might be the catalyst for that, but rest assured, these are strong women in their own right!
 
Is romance the only genre that you write in or do you write in other genres? If so what other genres do you write in?
Only romance for now, although never say never. I’m enjoying getting to write in a longer form than when I was a journalist, and focus on happiness and new beginnings. In the future? Who knows.

From where do you draw your inspiration?
Anywhere and everywhere – a holiday, problems that a friend is dealing with, a movie. The important part is sitting down and not feeling too beholden to the original idea. Start with that grain of a story, then think, if that’s true, what else is true?
 
Do you ever base your characters on real people in your life?
To a certain extent. Jay in Hawaiian Heartbreak was originally based on a real life tour guide on a real life tour, but as I worked out the story, he took on a life of his own. Now he’s very far from that original tour guide. And much hotter!
 
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Going out with friends, going on a long walk, curling up with a good book. Anything to break the cycle of staring at my computer, and willing the story to come!
 
What was your road to publishing like? Tell us about it.
For me, I’m a control freak. I’d had enough of being bossed around by big companies, so I researched indie writing and went for it, without ever trying the traditional route. The biggest challenge was finding a good editor and cover designer. I had to trust them to help me put out something that was top quality. Being a control freak doesn’t mean I get to ignore constructive criticism!
 
How did you come up with the title of your book?
I knew the basics of my story, and I knew the first book was all about heartbreak. It percolated for a while, and I kept a list of maybes on the first page of the book. And then one morning I switched on my computer and I knew. Which makes it sound a bit magical, but believe me, there was a lot of thinking to get to that point!
 
Do you read romance or do you prefer other genres?
Romance is definitely my preferred genre. You can find so many different stories within romance that there’s something great for any mood. But I also make sure I break out of my rut sometimes, read something new, give myself a fresh perspective on what makes good writing.
 
Have you joined any writer’s groups?
Through Wordpress and Goodreads I’ve been lucky to meet some really wonderful writers. Every time I’m online someone’s offering some great advice, an insight, or even just talking about a struggle I hadn’t considered that now I can try to work out in advance. So nothing structured, but I really couldn’t go without my online author friends.
 
What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
Whichever part I’m currently working on! When I’m writing that first draft, working out what’s next, I’m certain that’s the most difficult thing. When I’m on round five of editing, and I’m sick of reading the same words over and over, I think that’s the worst. Then when it’s ready for release and I’m waiting to see what readers make of it – that’s torture!
 
What is the easiest part of the writing process for you?
Coming up with ideas. My ideas list is enormous, so I’ve certainly got plenty more books coming. Turning them into a proper book though, that takes time and sweat.
 
What is your preferred writing environment?
Kitchen table, cat on my knee, and absolute silence all around me. If anyone else is home I can’t manage anything useful.
 
Do you have a careful plan when plotting your stories or do you just go with the flow?
I have a page of plot points when I start, a loose skeleton of things that will happen, character reactions, and the outcome. But I certainly don’t do a full chapter-by-chapter breakdown. I like to just get going and get it on the page.
 
With many publishing routes available today, which felt the most reliable to you when it came to the many choices?
For me, I’m currently an Amazon/CreateSpace loyalist. They know what an indie author needs in terms of promotion, their systems are user friendly, and they reward loyalty. As I continue, I may branch out, but that’s likely to be a few years from now. 
 
Wild Card Question.
Answering this question is not required, but I would really like to see what your answer is.
 
As an author, what is the one question that you wish people would ask you, but no one ever has and what would your answer be to that question?
 
I hear a lot of people say that love scenes in romance novels are unrealistic. And sure, some are. But I try to write things that are realistic – as long as you’re in the right hands! So I wish those people would ask me where I get THAT inspiration from. There are some great non-fiction books out there that will change your perspective. Start with I Love Female Orgasm, by Dorian Solot, Marshal Miller, and Shirley Chiang. It’s friendly, funny, and I guarantee you’ll learn something. 

Please tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Anthony Avina. I’m 25 years old, and I live in Southern California. I have a Yorkshire Terrier named Sammy, and am an avid horror fan. I’m venturing out into the romance world for the first time, and am proud of the work I’ve done in this upcoming novella.
 
Tell us about your latest book.
VOID is the story of six friends who must band together to overcome great tragedy or hardships in their lives to find hope. I’ve written this contemporary romance/drama to serve as a modern day play of sorts, taking the reader through three acts to showcase these six characters’ lives. I delve into many current topics in this novella, from sexual identity and marriage to loss and blossoming romance. It takes place in Los Angeles, and revolves around six friends in their twenties who must navigate life together.
 
What do you have coming out in the future?
I’m actually working on a few projects. I am writing two short stories, a science fiction novel (the first chapter of which is featured at the end of VOID), and I have already finished a Noir/Thriller set in modern times that is set for the editing stage.
 
Is your book a stand-alone or a series?
I had actually intended this to be a stand-alone story, but as I wrote the story I realized that there is room to grow these characters, and explore their relationships in future books, so now it has become the first in a series.
 
Why romance and what makes your particular brand of romance special?
I’ve always been a romantic at heart. I’ve always believed in the power that love represents, and ever since I was a kid, I’ve been drawn to thoughtful, drawn out characters with deep seeded romantic relationships. While others were drawn out to films, tv shows and comic books for the goofy or action they might have, I was drawn to the relationships. My particular brand of romance focuses on equal love. That means I’m not really about writing the classic stories of strong men who take control and sweep a woman off her feet. I write romances in which each individual in the relationship is equal, and they must work at the relationship. I also make sure to write equal relationships in that there are straight and gay relationships, showcasing that love knows no sexual orientation.
 
Is romance the only genre that you write in or do you write in other genres? If so what other genres do you write in?
No, this is actually my first foray into the romance genre. I’ve become known as a horror writer, and have also written science fiction, fantasy, and even comic book related stories.

Do you ever base your characters on real people in your life?
Actually yes, I use people in my life as characters all the time. I even have one character in VOID that is loosely based on me, so I’m constantly using people in my life for inspiration.
 
What authors inspire your writing?
Stephen King, Dean Koontz, John Green, Cassandra Clare.
 
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I am either playing video games, reading, watching shows or going out with friends or family.
 
How did you come up with the title of your book?
Interestingly, the title for the book was not my original title. The working title had been Notes of Hope and Despair, but as I wrote the story out, I realized VOID sounded better, and it fit right into the story. Often times when people go through hard times, they find the road back towards those they love and true happiness is like crossing a great chasm, or like they are trapped in an endless void, but with a little help they cross that void and reach the other side of that chasm.
 
What is your absolute favorite book or books and why is it special to you?
My all-time favorite books are The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. This series enraptured me from the beginning, with its infamous opening line, “The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed”. You instantly wanted to find out what was going on, and that one line sparked an entire subculture of Stephen King fans. The series has all my favorite genres and elements, from fantasy and horror to action, adventure, and deep seated romance and true relationships that are palpable and addicting to be invested in.
 
What celebrity would you chose to play the main character(s) in the movie rendition of your book?
For the purposes of this question, I’ll single out two of the six characters. For the character Javier, I’d choose Tyler Posey, because if he put on a little weight, (Javier is a bigger guy), this could be a good chance to showcase his talent outside of his typecast as a supernatural TV actor. For the role of Pamela, I’d choose Shailene Woodley, because she captures that soulful, powerful presence that Pamela has, and can melt you heart while standing firm on her own two feet, which would make a good pairing with Tyler.
 
Which of your characters is your favorite and why?
Although I have a special place in my heart for Javier and Pamela, my favorite character to explore was Jasper Collins. One of the six friends, his struggle is with coming out to his parents as a gay man. His father is a strict, hard-nosed religious man, (a pastor in fact), and his mom follows his dad like he’s the direct line to God. Jasper, who is not religious and who is getting to a place in his life where he’s accepting of who he is, struggles because he knows he’ll lose his parents once he comes out to them, but he also doesn’t want to hide who he is any longer. I love this character so much because I’ve been a big supporter of the LGBT community for years, and I wanted to include this character to showcase the struggles a young man would face in today’s world with parents like that. I also am excited to explore his story more down the road in future installments as well.
 
Who or what are your inspirations/influences?
It may seem cliché or unoriginal, but my biggest inspiration and influence on my writing and my life in general has been my mom. I’ve struggled with physical disabilities for years, and they were passed on genetically through my family, so I had spent most of my life watching my mom struggle with the same diseases. She’s been such a big supporter of me over the years, and has never once judged me, held back on letting me know when something works and when something doesn’t, and has always pushed me to believe in myself. She’s shown me through her own work as a journalist and head of her own entertainment magazine that these disabilities don’t have to define you, but that they are just one small part of us. She’s given me the strength and courage to venture out into the unknown and pursue my dream of writing. She’s the strongest person I know, and she’s always let me choose my own beliefs and views on life, never once influencing me or pushing me towards one direction or another, and for that I’ll always be grateful. Thank you for everything mom, (if you’re reading this), and I love you.
 
What is your preferred writing environment?
Although I currently have to write in a small room in my house in a desert town in California, my optimum writing environment would be in my own office in my home, which would hopefully be located in or near a big city like Los Angeles, where I could hear the sound of the people from the streets and hear the city come to life all around me. I feel more inspired and creative in a city environment.
 
Do you have a careful plan when plotting your stories or do you just go with the flow?
I usually write out a general guideline for the story, but as I write it out I let my mind go and let the story kind of write itself, taking it in different directions I may never have thought of if I’d planned it all out.
 
When did you know you truly wanted to give writing a shot?
When I was a sophomore in high school. I was taking my first creative writing class, and I fell in love with the writing process instantly. I usually went above and beyond the call of duty when it came to writing assignments, and found the homework was actually fun, rather than work. I’ve been coming up with ideas for stories in my head for years, and when the opportunity presented itself, I knew that writing was my true path in life.
 
What is your favorite quote?
There are so many, it’s hard to choose just one. I have my all-time favorite quote from the movie Memento, but because it’s a long one, I’ll choose this really nice quote that I’ve always loved. If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.
Maya Angelou
 
Do you have any advice for other writers and what is it?
My only advice would be to stick to what you love, and don’t conform to anyone’s ideas of standards. There are writers who are more intellectual with their work, and there are writers who prefer to entertain. Neither one is better than the other. Just be yourself and keep working at your craft. I’m still learning new things each and every day. That’s what makes a better writer.
 
Wild Card Question.
As an author, what is the one question that you wish people would ask you, but no one ever has and what would your answer be to that question?
​
 Hmm, that’s a tough one. The one question I wish people would ask me is, “What do you think is waiting for us as a society in the future?”
My answer to that would be this: I think that our future is what the future for previous generations has always been. It’s a brighter future, filled with endless possibilities. There is so much to be fearful of, from disease and crime to climate change and war. It seems like there is always some new scare, some new threat to our future that makes the future seem bleak. I’m sure the people living during WWII felt the same way. With technology advancing us towards a more innovative future, and the judgmental people becoming a minority in the world rather than the majority, people are becoming more independent. Gay marriage is finally legal in the United States. No one would have thought that possible for years to come, and yet it happened. Other freedoms and other deadly thought processes will be changed as the years advance, and new outlooks on life will hopefully help change the things we cannot in this day and age. So how do I see the future? I see myself sitting with the one I love, watching the world venturing out into the cosmos, and extending what it means to be human. The possibilities are limitless, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. 

The guest author for today on Interviews with Dante is Karen Docter. She is a writer of Contemporary and Romantic suspense. Her latest work Cop On Her Doorstep is the first in the True Love In Uniform series.

​Please tell us a little about yourself.
 Let me step into my P.A. (promotional assistant) body for a moment so that I don’t sound full of myself.  :)
Karen/K.L. Docter is a bestselling award-winning author, a four-time Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® finalist, and won the coveted Kiss of Death Romance Writers Daphne du Maurier Award Category (Series) Romantic Mystery Unpublished division.

When she's not saving her characters from death and destruction or helping them to fall in love, she loves camping and fishing with her family, reading, gardening & cooking. If she can do any of those things over a campfire, all the better! FMI: http://www.karendocter.com
Okay, so that still sounds big-headed but it might help to know that I’m sitting here in my jammies and slippers, my hair pulled up in a clip, no makeup and working on my second quart jar of iced coffee. I take my coffee seriously! Just ask anyone who knows me. Flavored coffee and books, that’s me.
I sit at my computer about 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Wish it was all pure writing time but, alas, it’s not. My dream vacation is me and my laptop writing on a lanai in Maui for three months...with room service. Nothing wrong with my dream machine!

Tell us about your latest book.
I’ve just launched the first book in my new True Love in Uniform series, a contemporary romance called COP ON HER DOORSTEP. The heroine’s husband was killed by S.W.A.T. six years before the story begins. Carrie Padilla has spent long hours at work rebuilding a life for herself and her son. The little time she has at home is spent keeping her eight-year-old son out of trouble, but he is all too eager to try to be the man in the house. When a handsome cop shows up on her doorstep, her errant son in tow, Carrie's heart stutters. The sexy Italian cop sets off all kinds of bells in her system, and she knows there's only one thing she can do to save what is left of her family, her husband’s memory, and her heart...avoid her new neighbor at all costs.

S.W.A.T. officer Jake Stafani already lost one little boy to gang violence, the dead boy’s older brother is missing, and Jake's not about to let the same thing happen to a neighbor's son. He drags the youngster home only to discover much more than a passing interest in the boy's beautiful, but wary, mother. Forced to take a leave of absence after a bust goes awry, Jake can think of nothing better to occupy his time than to keep Carrie and her son safe, and locate the missing teen who holds the key to taking the gang off the streets, once and for all.

Jake doesn’t count on his stubborn, intriguing neighbor distracting him from his job, or the passion that flares between them. He doesn’t expect her amazing son to steal a piece of his heart. Jake is ready to risk everything for Carrie, body and soul. But it’s not all up to him. If their new love is to survive, Carrie will need to be strong enough to see the man's beating heart behind the badge, to look beyond the pain of her past, and decide that loving again is worth the risk.
 
What do you have coming out in the future?
I’m currently working on book two of the True Love In Uniform series, COP CRASHES THE WEDDING. The third book, COP TO THE RESCUE, is in the preliminary planning stages. I have approximately 24 possible book titles waiting in the queue to be written, so I have enough contemporary romance stories in my  head to keep me busy for a while. :) I’m also working on the second book in my Thorne’s Thorns series as K.L. Docter.
 
Is your book a stand-alone or a series?
 I write stand-alone books in both of my series. I want readers to pick up my stories anywhere in the series so they can find a HEA (Happily Ever After) at the end of each book. Each book in my True Love in Uniform series is about a police officer who lives in the fictional town of Riverton, Colorado. Someday, I’ll branch out into firefighters or other “uniform” heroes and heroines. Each book in my Thorne’s Thorns series is a stand-alone book about one of six foster brothers, the dangers that enter their lives and the women they come to love. Previous heroes and heroines might appear in cameos in subsequent books but the story is not about them.
 
Why romance and what makes your particular brand of romance special?
 I love romance and believe there is a HEA out there for everyone. Sometimes we’re lucky enough to find it. Sometimes we aren’t lucky enough to meet that person. I try to help the couples in my stories to find their other half. I think it’s that surety that there is a romance out there for everyone that makes my stories special. The couple might fight falling in love but I show them that love is something worth fighting for, that their lives can’t be complete without each other.
 
Is romance the only genre that you write in or do you write in other genres? If so what other genres do you write in?
Romance underlies everything I write, but I do write in two romance sub-genres. My contemporaries are pure romance, while I give in to my suspense leanings when I write my romantic suspense books. Am I intrigued with the idea of writing outside the romance genre? Absolutely! I would love to write pure SciFi, for instance. There simply isn’t enough hours in a day.

From where do you draw your inspiration?
Everywhere. I may seem quiet when you put me in a room full of people but I’m watching everything, ferreting away little tidbits of characterization, mannerisms, speech patterns, etc. Yeah, I’m a real party animal! :) I get ideas from articles, conversations, television, radio, songs, etc. Once I get the kernel of an idea, it’s just a matter of time before I flesh out the rest of a story.
My contemporary romance, Satin Pleasures, was inspired by a real life event. Our family had moved to San Francisco right after the devastating earthquake in 1989 that collapsed bridges. One day, I had to cross the Bay to get to a writing meeting. There was a major accident that closed the bridge, and I was stuck in the middle with a fear of earthquakes and heights preying on my mind. I got through the next two  hours watching the people around me, and what I saw is almost exactly what I describe in the first scene between the Dan and Tess. Of course, the h/h weren’t anywhere but in my head. But they were fully formed, their stories launched by the time I drove of that bridge.
I draw inspiration from so many places that I currently have over 70 contemporary and suspense books waiting in my TBW (to be written) file, with more added all the time.

Do you ever base your characters on real people in your life?
Since I pull characters and stories from all over, technically that answer is yes...and no. I do make it a point not to people my stories with anyone who would recognize themselves. We all share traits, but mix those traits up? The combinations are endless. None of my serial killers are real people in my life—thank goodness—but they, too, can have traits I’ve observed and twisted into something...more.

How have your real life experiences influenced your writing?
Who we are as a person today is influenced by everything we’ve experienced up to that point. One of the reasons why each writer is different and has their own style is that no two people will experience the same thing in the same way, so their approach to their writing will reflect those differences.
For instance, when I was ten years old, I decided I wanted to be a policeman after an incident in my neighborhood that made me very aware of the injustices in the world. Life experiences and my personality didn’t lead me down that path, but now I dispense justice in my romantic suspense novels.

How did you come up with the title of your book?
I love coming up with titles! They pop into my head out of nowhere, a comment someone makes, a news story, even out of something I read. My titles ground stories in my head. If I don’t know what it is, I simply can’t write the book. It’s that simple. Killing Secrets is about secrets. Secrets that are kept. Secrets that are revealed. Secrets that can kill. Catch That Santa is about a man and a woman chasing after their grandparents, one of which is dressed like Santa, who have run off to Las Vegas to get married. Satin Pleasures is a bit of an anomaly. The hero of that story was opening a new lingerie store called Satin Pleasures. I set that story aside for a while and, when I pulled it out to publish it, I discovered that there was actually a new online lingerie company with the same name. They’d trademarked it in the meantime. I had to change the name for Dan’s store in the book, but I was able to use the title because it was referring to the heroine’s love of satin. Cop On Her Doorstep is about a policeman showing up on the heroine’s doorstep where he’s not welcome. Cop Crashes The Wedding is about a policeman who arrests the heroine’s groom. In Cop To The Rescue, the policeman is also on a mountain rescue team and he saves the heroine when she’s abandoned in the mountains in a date gone wrong.

Do you read romance or do you prefer other genres?
I used to read a lot more than I do now. There simply isn’t enough time in my day. When I do have time, I read across the romance genres with the exception of inspirational or erotic. I also read outside romance, everything from Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler to Ayn Rand to Robert Heinlein and Isacc Asimov...and more.
 
Have you joined any writer’s groups?
I’ve been in a number of writers’ groups over the years. Romance Writers of America, RWA Pro, Colorado Romance Writers, Kiss of Death Romance Writers, From the Heart Romance Writers, The Golden Network, Sisters In Crime, Sisters In Crime-Colorado to name a few.

​Have you won any awards for your writing?
I’ve won a number of awards over my career, which I’ve listed by novel on my website at http://www.karendocter.com/about/awards. I’m most proud of the Daphne du Maurier award, the four times I was a RWA Golden Heart finalist, and my two RomCon Reader Rated books where I achieved scores of 8.6 and 8.7 out of nine points from readers.
 
What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
Editing. Not because I can’t edit. I was an editor in another life so I’m good at it. Too good, maybe. The hardest part of writing for me is to keep the Type-A editor inside me from bogging me down as I write. In other words, my internal editor has twelve inch talons embedded in my shoulder, and she just won’t shut up and let me write. She’s sitting here right now cleaning up this interview as I answer these questions, the cheeky thing!
I used to be a hardcore pantser (someone who writes by the seat of her pants). The more I learned about my craft, the bossier my editor became. I write a lot slower now because I’m reworking the same scene over and over until I feel like I can move on.

What is the easiest part of the writing process for you?
Conflict. I make my characters work for their HEA (Happily Ever After) in all of my books and, in the case of my suspense, I can be especially mean to my characters. Serial killers are not nice guys, you know! I love getting into the heads of all of my characters and make them as believable as possible. By the time I’m done with them, I know them like my best friends...even the villains. They become “real” to me, in other words.
 
Which of your characters is your favorite and why?
I tend to love all of my heroes, probably because some part of them fits the mold of what I admire most about men in real life. Their insights, strengths and weaknesses. Their protectiveness. Everything that makes men and women different. It’s fun to explore their psyches.
 
That said, I have to say the one character that is my favorite to date is the villain in Killing Secrets. He might be a twisted serial killer but he was tremendous fun to write. One of my favorite crime shows is Criminal Minds because it gets into the minds of serial killers and analyzes why they do the things they do. I find it intriguing to figure out why any character does what he or she does. Getting into the villain’s head though is downright scary and understanding him can be highly satisfying. This is why I write more psychological suspense than graphic description. I’m more focused on the why, not the how.
 
What is your preferred writing environment?
I finally have my office the way I like it. It’s in the walk-out basement so it has windows and southern exposure. I’ve painted it a beautiful Emperor’s Gold and surrounded myself with my collection of dragons and Asian paintings and screens. I smile every time I walk into the room. If it’s cloudy outside, I turn on my tract lighting and it feels like I’m sitting in sunshine.

When the weather’s nice—I don’t do HOT—I sit in the garden patio with my laptop, an easy thing to do now that I’ve got a docking station and am down to one computer. Of course, I have three monitors that are always turned on so I guess I didn’t trim down on my equipment. Which means I do my best writing outside…fewer distractions. :)
Do you have a careful plan when plotting your stories or do you just go with the flow?
 
What is your favorite quote?
The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play ~ Arnold Toynbee.
 
As a writer, I get to blend my work and my play. I love my job!

Wild Card Question.
As an author, what is the one question that you wish people would ask you, but no one ever has and what would your answer be to that question?
 
If you were able to do one thing that would impact positively on the society’s problems, what would it be?
I would teach everyone the art of communication. I believe most of the world’s social ills stems from miscommunication and ignorance. If we communicated better, our decisions and viewpoints would be based more on fact than conjecture and wishful thinking. I have no illusions we can resolve all of society’s ills but too many people form opinions and make decisions on bad or little information.
 
I write romance because I believe it is one of the most important relationships we build as human beings. Getting to know someone intimately enough to fall in love with them takes work and communication and caring, and we all deserve that in our lives.

From where do you draw your inspiration?
Inspiration comes from everywhere. Anything could spark it. I could be speaking to you and I would get inspired to write a story. The other day I was watching the news on TV and I thought “wow, that would make a great base for a story”.

Do you ever base your characters on real people in your life? 
Rarely. The closest I have got to basing on real people were Emma Winston’s children in “Winter’s End”.  The personalities of her children were based slightly on my own.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?
When I am not writing, I am usually busy being the mom, the wife, the cook, the housekeeper or the designated cabbie for children as I rush them to and fro between their extracurricular classes. But when I do get the time for myself, I lose myself in a book or in the garden or have a game of tennis with the family.

 How did you come up with the title of your book?
“Captive” was pretty easy to come up with since the theme of the book was regarding captivity. It was the subtitle, “Veiled Desires” which I had to work slightly harder for. The plot is set in Afghanistan, and as is customary there, women are required to cover their heads. “Veiled Desires” as a result hints at both:

The desires behind the veil

Those people who try to hide their feelings about someone

Do you read romance or do you prefer other genres?
I am eclectic in my reading preferences. I read what calls to me. I might read a romance one day, a thriller another or a biography the next.

What celebrity would you chose to play the main character(s) in the movie rendition of your book?
Oh dear (laughs).  I’m going to dream big and say Jake Gyllenhaal for Adam Afridi and Rosamund Pike for Nora Jennings. I think Jake Gyllenhaal had made a fabulous dark prince in Prince of Persia and whose character Prince Dastan, is somewhat similar to Adam Afridi except with more brooding and drama. And because Gyllenhaal is a wonderful actor ranging in different styles of acting, he’d be able to pull off a dark, brooding Pashtun warlord such as Adam Afridi any day.

As for Rosamund Pike, I think she is gorgeous and her acting is absolutely top-notch. I loved her performance in Gone Girl. She is one of those rare actresses who can tear up and still look pretty doing it, which would be perfect for Nora Jennings.

What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
This would probably be the beginning of the plot and the conclusion. The beginning is important because that is the foundation. Everything is based upon that and if there are cracks, everything else begins to fall apart. Also you need to start off with a bang, something that will captivate the reader and make it worthwhile for them to continue on with the story. It is the lure, the bait.

The conclusion is important because you need to tie up everything at the end and you want to smoothen it and shine it so it doesn’t look abrupt. It must blend into the flow of the writing so the reader will get that closure they need.

What is the easiest part of the writing process for you?
For me, this would most probably be the idea itself. I have more than a dozen plot ideas in the pipeline. But to actually start working and turning them into a feasible tale- that is another story.

Which of your characters is your favorite and why?
I’ve always said my characters are like my children. You love them all, which makes it all the more hard to play favorites. But because I’ve just finished with Veiled Desires, I would have to go with Adam Afridi and Nora Jennings.

Adam is the dark, handsome mysterious stranger who comes to the aid of a helpless woman, falls hard in love, protects those he loves and does not shy from shedding that tear when needs be.

Nora has got an inner strength I love and admire. She pushes on despite her circumstances and does not submit to her oppressors so easily. She fights to survive and will do what it takes to win back her freedom.

What is your preferred writing environment?
I wish my husband could answer this. (chuckles) He has been trying relentlessly to tame and train me to sit on a desk. But like my reading, I love to write in different places. Sometimes it is the couch; other times the bed or the dinner table. I could write in the middle of noise and chaos. Those things don’t bother me at all. Because once I get immersed in the worlds of my characters, nothing else seems to exist.

When did you know you truly wanted to give writing a shot?
I’ve always wanted to write, but circumstances didn’t give me a chance until a few years ago. I suppose I would still be working in a dreary law firm if it had not been for my children. I quit working to raise them, but I quickly discovered I got bored between 9am and 3pm (their school hours). So one day I picked up my notebook and started typing. Never stopped since.
 
Do you have any advice for other writers and what is it?
Be yourself. Do what you’re comfortable with. I gave up imitating a long long time ago. I find more peace just writing what I love and doing what I do.  My best wishes to Nora Roberts and Danielle Steele and Debbie Macomber. But I love being me and I am best doing it.

Wild Card Question.
As an author, what is the one question that you wish people would ask you, but no one ever has and what would your answer be to that question?

Why do I write about social themes? For instance it was prostitution in Red Collar and ‘bacha baazi’ in Captive- Veiled Desires.
While my main objective of my books is to entertain and produce titillating tales of love, I would like to use the opportunity to enlighten on certain problems affecting us as human beings.  My most recent issue has been bacha-bazi in Veiled Desires.

‘Bacha-bazi’ is the Persian term for ‘playing with pre-pubescent boys’. It involves child sex slavery and prostitution of boys, some as young as nine years.  It is an old Afghan tradition which is forbidden by both Afghan and Sharia law. However, most often authorities turn a blind eye to these cases because of the power bacha-bazi owners hold.  We can only pray that one day this gruesome practice will stop.

From where do you draw your inspiration?
My inspiration comes from real life, TV shows that I watch, songs that I listen to. Basically everywhere. I’m a huge daydreamer and come from a long line of amazing story tellers (I think it’s the Irish in me ;)).
 
Do you ever base your characters on real people in your life?
Some of my characters are based on friends and family in real life, however the similarities are pretty limited. While I love Tatum and Jager, I thank my lucky stars that I don’t know anyone really like them in real life. They are kind of terrifying. Haha!

What authors inspire your writing?
I like to think that my writing is all my own. I’m pretty new to it actually. Authors that I love however include Jojo Moyes, Cassandra Claire, Richelle Mead, and Deborah Harkness.
 
How have your real life experiences influenced your writing?
It depends on the book I suppose. The Authority series is about gangsters, prostitutes, drug dealers and strippers. I’d have to say that thankfully, none of my real life experiences have had anything to do with that.

The fantasy book that I am writing is about fairies, which were a huge influence in my town as a child. Kids were terrified of them and truly believed they existed, however the Newfoundland legend of fairies is a lot darker than the stories other moms and dads read to their children at night.

 What do you like to do when you are not writing?
When I’m not writing I draw. Before publishing I ran a successful shop on etsy selling my art. Also, my husband and I are big movie nerds so we do that a lot.

What was your road to publishing like? Tell us about it.
Publishing was surprisingly quick. The process was tedious. Writing, editing, promoting… That stuff takes a lot of work.

How did you come up with the title of your book?
I knew that the main character in my book, Jager, was going to have a nickname as the gang leader. I thought about words that gave the character a sense of ‘Authority’ and then realized that that word in itself would work. Ha! The title of all three books will be a play on that name. Altering Authority represents Jager changing his frame of mind, how he feels about women and love. It also marks him giving up his role as authority, to an extent. When he and Tatum fall in love, they kind of share in the title together.

Do you read romance or do you prefer other genres?
Romance is my favorite genre. I typically only stick to that however every now and then a story will come along that is out of that realm that I fall in love with. The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay for instance.

What is your absolute favorite book or books and why is it special to you?
There are so many. Jane Eyre was definitely one of them. The girl you left behind by Jojo Moyes as well. They have strong females, and despite the adversities they face, they still get their man!

What celebrity would you chose to play the main character(s) in the movie rendition of your book?
I have this narrowed down to a science! Tatum is strikingly beautiful but kind of rough around the edges. Megan Fox would definitely play her and Jager, while tough and dangerous, also has a soft side. I feel like Garrett Hedlund could do him justice.

Have you joined any writer’s groups?
I am on a few writers groups on Google+ and Goodreads although I’ll be honest, I have no idea how to work them! Threads confuse me and I don’t have the patience to constantly scroll through the dozens of post on a daily basis. My favorite was to connect with other readers and writers is through Instagram and Facebook.

Which of your characters is your favorite and why?
I have a bit of a weak spot of Tatum’s biological (When you read the book, you’ll know why I had to call him that) father, Phil. He’s a Scottish biker with a crazy moustache who shoots up warehouses with his criminal friends, yet he plays with Jagers kids, loves his daughter and tells her so daily. He calls other women ‘darlin’’. Swoon.

What is your preferred writing environment?
I love just hanging out on my bed with a good frappacino and my laptop. I’ll lock myself in there after supper, leave the kids and my husband to fend for themselves and write for hours, or until he can’t handle it anymore and calls on me to settle an argument or discipline by son for being a pain in the ass.

Do you have a careful plan when plotting your stories or do you just go with the flow?
I always do jot notes before hand so that I know that my story has a beginning, middle and end. It has a climax, a problem, a solution… if I didn’t do this, I’d ramble on and on forever.

With many publishing routes available today, which felt the most reliable to you when it came to the many choices?
I’m probably the most impatient person in existence. I knew I wanted to be published. I knew that people would love my story and I knew that it needed to get out there as soon as possible. The only way to do that was through self-publishing. I also wanted full control over my book. All the rights, permissions… promoting is a little bit harder on your own however, if the story is good enough, it will promote itself.

What is your favorite quote?
“You see, in my view a writer is a writer not because she writes well and easily, because she has amazing talent, because everything she does is golden. In my view a writer is a writer because even when there is no hope, even when nothing you do shows any sign of promise, you keep writing anyway." – Junot Diaz

Do you have any advice for other writers and what is it?
Just do it. Don’t second guess yourself, don’t worry about the critics. J.K. Rowling has critics. Stephen King has critics. George R.R. Martin has critics. Not everybody will like your reading but what matters is the people who do. 

Please tell us a little about yourself.
I always thought I would communicate in the world as a writer. As a child I was a voracious reader, and knew someday I would pen a great novel. But life sometimes takes left turns and I went to broadcasting school instead of a four-year college. I wanted to be the next Barbara Walters and make a million a year. Well that didn’t happen, but I did spend thirty years having fun, spinning records, interviewing people, doing love song dedications. I had a ball until…Congress passed a law in 1996 allowing broadcast corporations to own multiple radio stations in one market. Well, the gobbling began and soon behemoths like Clear Channel ate up radio stations like locusts in a wheat field. And radio announcers like me were axed on bloody Fridays with surgical precision. I left radio, went to work for the US Federal Government, and in my private hours, began doing what I really loved doing. Writing. 

 Tell us about your latest book.
The Chair is about love the second time around.  In a small town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, widower Paul Bixby develops a deep friendship with bank teller Linda Bauman—a friendship he hopes will evolve into something more. When Linda’s unusual fascination with highchairs comes to light, Paul builds an exquisite chair for her, crafting the chair with love.

Linda thought her parents had died when she was an infant, leaving her to be raised by her grandparents. She treasures the highchair she used as a child as a symbol of their unconditional love. But when a man shows up at the bank and claims to be her father, Linda searches the Internet and is stunned to learn of a long-buried family tragedy and an unspeakable crime.

Linda moves with her boss, Brad Erickson, to a branch office in a different town and secretly shares a home with him. Though devastated by Linda’s choice, Paul steps aside and wishes the best for her. But is Brad the man she hoped he would be? Or is Paul’s quiet love what she needs?

 What do you have coming out in the future?
I am currently writing a murder mystery called Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die. A serial killer is murdering lesbians in Seattle. Homicide detectives Nick Winston and Pat Strom are assigned the case and hope to find the butcher before he mutilates and murders another woman. For Pat Strom, the case becomes terrifying and personal.

 Is your book a stand-alone or a series?
The Chair is a stand-alone. Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die is the third in a series about Seattle homicide detectives Nick Winston and Pat Strom.

 Why romance and what makes your particular brand of romance special?
I love the mix of romance and murder. My mysteries are salacious and sexy. I love to keep the action moving both in the bedroom and the squad room.

Is romance the only genre that you write in or do you write in other genres? If so what other genres do you write in?
Mystery and crime.

From where do you draw your inspiration?
It bubbles up from some strange place in my brain. I just open the valve and let it flow.

 Do you ever base your characters on real people in your life?
Of course, I do, but I don’t use the whole person. One woman I knew had marvelous hands and I loved writing about her hands. In The Chair, Brad’s personality is based on a man I once dated. He was a jerk who treated women terribly. I really enjoyed writing Brad.

 What authors inspire your writing?
Anne Rice will always be at the top of my list of admired authors. The sensuous, decadent detail in her vampire novels is simply amazing and her colorful descriptions of the Garden District in New Orleans were so vivid, I could smell the fragrant bougainvillea.  Romance writer, Sandra Brown is another. I always learn from her sex scenes. She can write them smooth and sexy, but classy.

 How have your real life experiences influenced your writing?
Yes. Of course. Whoever we are, whatever we have learned finds its way into our writing.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I work full-time for the Federal Government, am raising a grandson, and write novels. There’s not much time left. I am studying Italian. I love languages but struggle to find a few extra minutes to study.

What was your road to publishing like? Tell us about it.
I spent a LOT of money on writer’s conferences. I polished my elevator pitch and learned to assault agents and editors in hallways, elevators, and yes, even bathrooms. I was never comfortable with that process. I got a few nibbles but nothing that ever came to fruition. I queried agents and publishers on the Internet regularly and eventually nabbed an agent. That relationship lasted a year, but she never secured a publisher for me. Tired of playing the traditional game, I decided to epub my book. I sold a few copies and felt good that it least it was “out there.” But sales were minimal. California Times Publishing contacted me and asked to represent me. I was thrilled that FINALLY I had been asked to the prom. It has proved to be a supportive, satisfying relationship. Jeff Napolitano is the publisher and is simply great to work with.  I’m not a best-selling author yet, but I’m working on it.

Do you read romance or do you prefer other genres?
I prefer a juicy who-dun-it. I am eager to see if I can solve the mystery before the author does the big reveal. 
 
What is your absolute favorite book or books and why is it special to you?
My all-time favorite is The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. The pull of forbidden love was heart-wrenching and enticing. I must admit I love 50 Shades of Grey too. Initially, I read about fifty pages and thought, wow, there’s sex on every page. This is over the top. I was vocal on social media about what a lousy book it was and advised everyone to save their money. After a few months, I picked the book up again and gave it a second chance. I became entranced with the love story. Christian adored Anastasia, just like Edward worshiped Bella. Women ache to be cherished. That hooked me.

Have you joined any writer’s groups?
I am a member of a writer’s critique group. We met several years ago in a romance writing course at a community college. We started meeting monthly and have been together ever since. We are very supportive of each other and I trust them implicitly. I have written three novels since joining this group. It’s great to get free editing!

What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
Editing is the most time-consuming and challenging.

What is the easiest part of the writing process for you?
Is there an easy part? I haven’t found that yet.

Which of your characters is your favorite and why?
My favorite character is in a previous book, 6 White Roses.  Tandy Williams is a raucous, sexy, lovable girlfriend to Detective Nick Winston. She’s very creative in the bedroom and was just plain fun to write.

Who or what are your inspirations/influences?
Again, I must mention Anne Rice. I once stood five hours in towering heels just to get an autograph and photo with her. My feet wouldn’t agree, but it was worth every minute of the wait. I am crazy for early Stephen King. His later material, not so much.

What is your preferred writing environment? 
Early weekend mornings I sit down in my recliner and write before my grandson wakes up.  My brain is fresh and I produce some of my best writing.

How would you describe your writing style?
My novels are spicy and the fast-paced. To bore my reader would be the kiss of death.

Do you have a careful plan when plotting your stories or do you just go with the flow?
With Romance, I let my characters drive the story. With my murder mysteries, I have to carefully plot where I am going to drop my clues in the storyline.

When did you know you truly wanted to give writing a shot?
I’ve always wanted to write. I was side-tracked by broadcasting, but that was okay. I loved radio and had tons of fun, but deep down, it was always writing that called me.

Do you have any advice for other writers and what is it?
It’s a tough business and the competition is fierce. Hang in there and find people who support you.

Wild Card Question.
As an author, what is the one question that you wish people would ask you, but no one ever has and what would your answer be to that question?

What do you get out of writing?
I love the creative process. I just dig words and molding them together to create a wonderful sentence excites me.