Aileen Harkwood

What Inspires a Writer?

2012-01-06T14:50:00.000-08:00

One of the first questions many new writers ask their fellow authors is, "Where do you get your ideas?"

A better question, I believe, is "Where do you find your inspiration?" Literally. What locations inspire you to write? I've noticed that while many top authors don't restrict themselves to any one location, others tend to set their stories in a limited set of locales. Think Kay Hooper and the South, the Carolinas, predominantly. Heather Graham's stories often find themselves in New Orleans, Florida or the Northeastern U.S.

Do authors choose locations over and over again because they're familiar, and it's always easier to write what you know? Or do they find particular settings inspiring, great generators of ideas and story lines? Or maybe a little of both?

It's odd, but though I love where I live in the Southern Rockies, I haven't been able to come up with a story using it as a setting, despite the area being hugely atmospheric. I love Florida, too, with its sugar sand beaches, thunderous rains, and wild green parrots nattering together in the palm trees. I'd love to have a cottage by the beach, an old one in the Florida cracker style where a Christmas tree decorated with shells and starfish makes sense. Yet, I'm not the least motivated to set a story set there. So far, Florida just doesn't fit the type of fiction I write.

Rather, I'm drawn to the Northwest, its dense forests and lonely islands, the urban rhythm of Seattle. Equally inspired by the Northern California coast with its rocky cliffs; the scents of San Francisco, sourdough at the wharf and wonton soup from Chinatown; or the memory of the ornamental pepper plant I once bought from a stall in Ghirardelli Square (it smelled of fog and earth and irresistible greenness).

Settings aren't stories, of course, especially in the romance genre. In fact, too much description often gets in the way of character and plot development. Still, I find the right setting to be a necessary jumping off spot when it comes to inspiring those characters, to use in figuring out who they are and where they're going.

Do Readers of Shapeshifter Romance Read Only Shapeshifter Romance?...Amazon Says So

2011-12-30T05:36:00.000-08:00

I have a perfectly functional Barnes & Noble Bookstore about 10 minutes from my house, not to mention, several struggling used bookstores, but like a lot of Americans—good or bad—I tend to buy more and more of my books online. Convenience has begun to supplant the feel of a physical book in my hand when making buying decisions. Of the 11 books I bought last month, all were purchased online, including a handful of Kindle books.

One thing about Amazon's sales pages I always glance at is the section, "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought." This feature supposedly connects you with fellow readers by providing book recommendations from strangers. I'll admit I've purchased several books based on this clever bit of virtual "hand-selling" in the past.

While visiting the page for my book, Wolf's Den this morning, however, I discovered something curious in the 25-page slide show of books readers "also" bought. All were shapeshifter romances.

Is Amazon telling me that romance readers are so regimented that they never stray outside the lines of the shapeshifter subgenre? Pretty hard to believe none of Wolf's Den's readers have ever purchased a romantic suspense novel, a cookbook, or even some classic literature.

What gives Amazon? Did readers really purchase those 100 other wolf/big cat books and nothing else? Or was that just a random list generated for me based on a set of keywords?

"In Her Dreams" in Top 20 FREE Kindle Bestsellers List

2011-12-26T08:34:00.000-08:00

At midnight on Christmas, the giveaway of "In Her Dreams," my short story eBook (56 pages) with Dapple Gray, went live on Amazon's Kindle. By morning, it shot into the Top 20 Bestseller's List for Romance > Fantasy, Futuristic, and Ghost, as well as Fantasy > Contemporary, and is currently hanging out at #11 in both categories.

Stop by and get a copy for yourself. It's available for free until the 29th!

Here's Where I Guest Posted in August

2010-09-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

The August Wild Roses Blog Tour may be over, but you can still check out my guest post interviews with these three terrific authors on the tour. Their questions really made me think when answering!

Lilly Gayle
Lauri Robinson
Caroline Clemmons

Winner & Two Runners Up Chosen in Wild Roses Blog Tour

2010-08-30T23:15:00.000-07:00

The winner of August's Wild Roses Blog Tour prize basket...drum roll, please as Lisa Dawn, Marketing Director for The Wild Rose Press draws a name, is...

Judy Croome!

Your prizes include 10 books from The Wild Rose Press authors, the right to name the hero in Rae Summers' next book, and a web banner created by yours truly.

In addition, I have great news. Lisa has provided prizes for two runner-ups. A $10 Wild Rose Press gift certificate (good at www.TheWildRosePress.com) goes to:

Rebecca Booth

A $10 Wilder Rose Press gift certificate (good at www.thewilderroses.com) is awarded to:

Shelley Munro

Congratulations Judy, Rebecca, and Shelley! Enjoy your prizes, and thank you The Wild Rose Press for the unexpected surprises.

Wild Roses Blog Tour ~ Interview with Amber Leigh Williams

2010-08-24T22:13:00.000-07:00

It's the final week of the Wild Roses Blog Tour, and today I'm off being guest hosted by paranormal and historical romance novelist Caroline Clemmons. I hope you'll stop by, and leave a comment there. Anyone who does is automatically entered to win not only a copy of my paranormal shapeshifter eBook Wolf's Den, but an entire giveaway basket of books and prizes.

That means today is also my last chance to interview one of the wonderful authors who have joined me on the tour. Let me introduce Long and Short Reviews Best Book of 2009 Nominee Amber Leigh Williams. As you'll see toward the bottom of the interview, she has some solid and practical advice for writing sex scenes.

Amber Leigh Williams is a multi-published author, a member of Romance Writers of America, former Secretary of GCCRWA, and a reviewer for The Season. Her western romance, Blackest Heart, is a 2009 More Than Magic winner and her historical romance, Forever Amore, was nominated by Long & Short Reviews for Best Book of 2009. She is represented by D4EO Literary Agency.

Aileen Harkwood: Hi, Amber! Thank you for the interview and welcome to the last leg of the Wild Roses Blog Tour. I'm going to start by asking you a question to which many of my other interviewees have responded.

I've always been fascinated by the sense of place that finds its way into books by my favorite novelists. Do you like to set your stories where you live, or someplace far away? Do you have favorite settings you like to use?

Amber Leigh Williams: There’s no limit to where my stories go. My first book, Denied Origin, a romantic suspense, started out in Rio de Janeiro and throughout the story the characters went on a scavenger hunt that took them to the Vatican City, Cairo, the Taj Mahal, and even The Philippines.

However, I’ve written books closer to home like my western romance trilogy which is based in the fictional small town of Wayback, Texas. My historical romance, Forever Amore, takes place all across Italy in the 1940s, starting in Veneto and exploring bits of Milan, Florence and other parts of Tuscany. My paranormal series takes place in present day New York City. I can only guess where my muse will take me next.

AH: What subgenres do you prefer to read? Are they the same ones you like to write?

ALW: I’m a huge fan of Regency romance, and I finally took the plunge and am working on one of my own now! I also read quite a bit of paranormal. I love a good western, medieval, and inspirational romance, too. Sci-fi romance is my latest favorite.

AH: What’s your favorite part of writing a story and why do you love it?

ALW: I love watching the characters grow. As the story progresses, I try to give them as much room as possible to live and breathe. It’s wonderful when surprise characteristics spring up and everything starts clicking into place naturally.

AH: I know that feeling well and always breathe a sigh of relief.

Speaking of characters, romance tends to focus description primarily on the hero and heroine and their relationship, while sometimes giving other forms of description short shrift. What does setting mean to you as a writer?

ALW: This is an excellent question. I believe that setting doesn’t just make the story more colorful, it can influence mood, themes, and the characters themselves. It can even take on characteristics unto itself. Think what the Harry Potter books would be without Hogwarts and all its mysteries and quirks, or Gone with the Wind without Tara which was the foundation for all that grounded Scarlet and kept her going through the hardships of war and its aftermath. It’s a shame when authors don’t take advantage of all that setting has to offer a story.

AH: How important is daydreaming to the creation of your stories? Or are you all business when you write?

ALW: I’m such a daydreamer. I do quite a bit of woolgathering while brainstorming. As long as I have pen and paper on standby, nothing works better than daydreaming when a story concept is waiting to take shape.

AH: While you're woolgathering, you know, visualizing your story in your head, do you ever “cast” the roles of your heroes and heroines with celebrities or other people you’ve seen?

ALW: If I start out modeling a hero or heroine after a celebrity, they quickly take on a life of their own. They’re their own people, completely individual from anyone else.

For example, [take] the silent cowboy from Blackest Heart, Judd Black. After I completed this western romance, I did a character break-down and tried to find an actor who could pass as a stunt double for him at least. Absolutely nobody came to mind. When I asked readers to chip in with their thoughts, they too seemed to think that no one in the world could portray Judd Black except for Judd Black himself. I think this is why he’s my favorite hero and the subject of most readers’ emails.

AH: Now that's when you know you've achieved something with your writing! I'm going to pester you with another movie question, though.

ALW: [Laughing]

AH: If you could have been the person to write a favorite movie of yours and could have written it as a romance book instead, which one would it be, and why?

ALW: I thought The Lake House was a great premise and was so envious of whoever came up with the concept. I also would love to have been the one to write My Best Friend’s Wedding. I love that movie and the point of view of the “other woman” whom Julia Roberts played to absolute perfection. To this day, I still wish I could have given Scarlet and Rhett their HEA. And if there isn’t a National Treasure 3, I might have to gain enough rights to write Riley’s story. I love that sarcastic computer geek!

AH: Okay, last of the Rorschach Test questions—Do you feel like you're taking a personality quiz yet?—If you could live a romance novel, what type of romance would it be? And what type of heroine?

ALW: It’s a tie – I’d either be Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice or Eve Dallas from J.D. Robb’s In Death series. I pick both of these for the heroes. There aren’t many heroes who are as iconic and delicious as Mr. Darcy and Roarke.

AH: Switching gears now back to writing, I've noticed that new writers often ask questions about the more commercially-oriented limits romance puts on heroes and heroines. Are there any potentially controversial characteristics, qualities, or situations you would hesitate to write?

ALW: I don’t think that any writer should hesitate to go where their imagination takes them. It’s a step backward to the bodice-ripping alphas and those notorious rape scenes that gave romance a bad rep in the ‘70’s that we want to avoid. As long as we don’t go back to that and as long as sex scenes aren’t gratuitous, there’s no limit to what romantic heroes can do. I think a good example is Elizabeth Amber’s Lords of Satyr series. Readers love her heroes and their “special abilities” and I believe the latest is an Romantic Times Top Pick.

AH: What is the craziest, wildest, or most unusual romance you’ve ever thought up that you’ve been afraid to write?

ALW: That was my paranormal series. I never thought I would write paranormal. I was just so intimidated by the process of world-building. Then a successful author of the subgenre took me aside one day at a RWA chapter meeting and told me out of the blue that she thought I would be a great paranormal author.

The idea kind of rolled gradually into the concept of the series that I’m in the midst of now, which I am thoroughly enjoying. Taking that plunge, seeing the outcome really makes me feel like I could write anything, no matter how challenging. When I’ve completed this series, I would really like to try a more fantasy-driven world. Maybe even science fiction. We’ll see.

AH: Are writing sex scenes hard or easy for you? Do you have any advice you can offer pre-pubbed writers?

ALW: It depends on what day it is. Sometimes these are the easiest scenes to write. Others, I have to chip the words out of the bedrock one grain at a time.

It’s just like any other scene, really, whether it be action-based or internalized. For pre-published writers, I would say that the key to love scenes is to make sure your characters are motivated in a realistic way and that the emotional journey of the hero and heroine is furthered in some way, whether they choose to admit it or not or even are aware of it or not. Again, it’s just another scene; give it one-hundred percent and, because love scenes tend to slow the story’s pace, be sure it moves the romantic plotline forward.

Interview continues below:
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Look for Amber's western romance trilogy featuring the Ridges of Wayback, Texas in audio! On September 7, 1st Place More Than Magic Novella Blackest Heart launches from AudioLark.com, followed by Bluest Heart (Sept 14) and Bet It on My Heart (Sept 21) Learn more about these books, now available in ebook and paperback, at The Wild Rose Press or at the author's website: http://www.amberleighwilliams.com.

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AH: Are you at all superstitious about writing, subbing to publishers? Do you have any rituals or habits you go through to get the job done?

ALW: Although I tend to be superstitious, I don’t think I do have any writing or submission superstitions. I believe that hard work pays off in this industry and that those who do work hard enough will be rewarded for their efforts, however long it takes.

AH: I can already tell from our conversation that you're fully into the business aspects of publishing, so let me ask you to add your opinion to the debate...Paper books or eBooks? Where do you think the future is headed?

ALW: There’s no getting around the fact that everything’s going digital. Even textbooks are available in digital formats now. I believe in ebooks and completely support where the market is going, but there is nothing better than holding a book in my hands and seeing it on my shelf here at home in my office. It’s such a comfort to be surrounded by them on a daily basis. When I was young and dreamed of being an author, it was of being on the shelf in a brick and mortar bookstore. I love ebooks, but I hate to think of a world without mass market paperbacks or hardcover editions.

AH: When you do go into a bookstore, do you ever fantasize about seeing your books there? I've asked this of other authors, but I'm always curious how a writer would handle it. What would you do if you saw a stranger pick up one of your novels? Would you approach that person?

ALW: I’d probably observe. And yes, I do fantasize. I actually worked for over a year in a local bookstore. It pleased me to no end that romance garnered better and better placement on endcaps and tables as the months progressed. And whenever a shipment of romance novels came in, I was the first to volunteer for stocking duty. I especially loved to see more and more people coming in and openly asking for and/or buying them. Most of the time, readers seemed to be buying at least three at once. And this was during the worst months of the recession.

AH: Last question and then you're through with my grueling interview. Let's go frivolous. What’s your favorite guilty pleasure? How do you reward yourself?

ALW: Reading is my guilty pleasure. When I’m not writing, I’m usually reading the latest book from my TBR (to be read) pile or reviewing historical romance for The Season. To reward myself for finishing a book or getting good news from a publisher, I usually buy another [Laughing again].

AH: Just what every author with a book about to be released would love to hear! Thanks, Amber. You give one terrific interview.

Be sure to leave a comment below. You'll be entered to win a giveaway basket with ten, count them, ten books from the authors of the Wild Roses Blog Tour, plus other great prizes. The more comments you leave on all the tour's blogs, the more chances you have to win.

Wild Roses Blog Tour: Interview with Christine DePetrillo

2010-08-17T22:05:00.001-07:00

For the third week of the Wild Roses Blog Tour it's my pleasure to interview multi-published author Christine DePetrillo, whose cat Shikari is adorable, by the way, as you can see from her author photo! Christine has two books due out from The Wild Rose Press this year, Alaska Heart (Sept. 24) and Lazuli Moon (Dec.).

Christine's bio provides a charming look at her introduction to the craft of writing.

By day, Christine DePetrillo teaches fifth grade and inspires young writers. By night, she writes everything from adult romance, young adult romance, science fiction to poetry. She first seriously considered writing as a lifestyle choice when she worked in a law office as a teenager. Christine would start a story, leave it in the day secretary's desk calendar, and her friend, who worked the days she didn't, would continue the story. They would volley back and forth for pages and pages. Even then the tales were romances and a direct reflection of their lonely, dateless weekends.

The stories helped them cope.

I don't know about you, but to me that sounds exactly like the set-up for a fantastic romance novel or even a movie a la Nora Ephron, writer of Sleepless in Seattle.

For now, though, let's get to the interview...

Aileen Harkwood: Welcome, Christine! As with all my guests I'd like to start by asking you about the settings for your books. I think setting is important not only because it provides mood and grounding for a story, but also because it helps a reader connect with the author. Where do you like to set your stories?

Christine DePetrillo: I set many of my stories in Vermont since I love it there. The woods are full of possibilities. I enjoy using very natural settings and getting my characters—especially the citified ones—connected to nature. I find the outdoors very romantic with things like fireflies and flowers.

AH: Sounds like the perfect spot for daydreaming. Are you in any part a dreamer? Have you found daydreaming important to the creation of your stories? Or are you all business when you write?

CD: A good part of my writing involves daydreaming, but I do that during the course of the day, not when I actually sit down to write. I daydream in the shower, while I’m brushing my teeth, in the car, taking out the garbage, ironing, working out. When my fingers hit the keyboard, I’m ready to rock and roll.

AH: You sound like the quintessential writer! But what if you could be not the writer, but the heroine in a romance novel? Would you want to try it out? What type of heroine would you be?

CD: I’d totally jump into a paranormal romance with shapeshifters. I love weres of any kind.

I’m the unlikely heroine, the one you don’t expect to succeed, but somehow manages to in the end.

AH: My favorite type of heroine. Tell me, what is the craziest, wildest, or most unusual romance you’ve ever thought up that you’ve been afraid to write?

CD: I want to do something with parallel universes where a couple falls in love in all the universes but in very different ways. I’m afraid to write it because it could get really tricky.

AH: I think I could see why. My head aches just trying to wrap my mind around the potential paradoxes you'd be forced to tackle to weave the plot together. But here's a much easier question for us to end on.

When you go into a bookstore, do you ever fantasize about seeing your books displayed in special ways? What would you do if you saw a stranger pick up one of yours?

CD: I fantasize just about every single time I go into a bookstore. Sometimes, I only go in to fantasize. I think I’d observe from a distance unless they put the book down. Then I’d go over, grabbing whoever was with me, and say, “Oh, they have it! I’ve been wanting this one!” I’d get my friend to take one off the shelf too just to really drive it home.

AH: I love that. I wish I'd have the moxie to pull off something like that. Good luck with your upcoming releases and thanks for visiting with us today, Christine!

Be sure to check out the blurb for Alaska Heart below, and join me for the final interview in our August Tour when I'll be hosting fellow tour member Amber Leigh Williams.

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Want to know where you can find Christine's books?

Visit her blog
http://www.christinedepetrillo.blogspot.com

As well as A Pinch of Romance, a blog she hosts
with six of her writing gal pals
http://www.apinchofromance.blogspot.com

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Coming September 24, 2010 from The Wild Rose Press

Alaska Heart by Christine DePetrillo

Alaska is supposed to be cold, so why is Alanna Cormac on fire?

Sent on a dream assignment to Denali National Park, nature magazine writer Alanna Cormac has no intentions of falling in love with Dale Ramsden, sexy Iditarod winner. When Dale, his family, and even his eighteen sled dogs charm their way into her heart, however, Alanna’s fast-track New York instincts crumble. The Alaskan landscape and the caress of a man too good to be true ignite feelings she never had time to explore before. Feelings that have her so blissfully busy she’s unaware she’s being watched. Judged. Targeted.

She’s next.

Love will either save her or swallow her whole. Is there even a difference?

Wild Roses Blog Tour: Interview with Maya Blake

2010-08-10T23:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to the Wild Roses Blog Tour!

My guest for the second leg of the tour is Crimson Rose romantic suspense writer Maya Blake. Maya's debut novel, Hostage to Love, was released by The Wild Rose Press last year, a lifelong dream come true for this 30-something writer. She lives in Kent, England with "my husband and two adorable (in my opinion, LOL!) kids."

I might also add that Maya has excellent taste in movies and leading men, as one of her favorite films is 2003's Girl with a Pearl Earring, starring Mr. Darcy himself, Colin Firth.

Before we begin, here's a quickie log line of Hostage to Love, for you to keep in mind during the interview.

Crushed by betrayal, Belle Winkworth-Jones flees the shambles of her short-lived marriage, only to be kidnapped by a vicious rebel soldier determined to keep her for himself. Nick Andreakos mounts a ruthless rescue to save the wife who walked away from him, even though he's resentful Belle could dismiss their marriage so easily.

Below, you'll find a link to where you can buy Maya's exciting romantic suspense, but for now, let's get going with the interview.

Aileen Harkwood: Welcome, Maya! Thanks for bringing the tour bus to a stop at my blog. My first question is something I think a lot of readers wonder about authors. You may spend all day writing, but what do you like to read? Is it the same type of fiction you write, or do you long for a change of pace when you pick up a book for pleasure?

Maya Blake: Writing and reading pure romance is my first love, but I also love reading crime thrillers – I finished the latest David Baldacci, True Blue, just this afternoon. Would I like to write pure crime? I think stopping myself from infusing a thread of romance into my writing would frustrate me endlessly. Even when reading non-romance book, I find myself secretly hoping for a touch or a spark of romance.

AH: The more I read, the more I've noticed that many authors like to pick a place and to set most of their stories there. For instance, Heather Graham concentrates on the southern coastal states in the U.S., while Kay Hooper likes to write about the Carolinas. Other romance novelists, Nora Roberts comes to mind ,will set their stories a variety of far flung places. How about you?

MB: While I love reading about places I’ve known and visited in the past, my wanderlust spirit is always exploring different places to write about, so most of my settings are a mixtures of places I’ve visited and places I’d love to visit, with a larger emphasis on the latter!

AH: Me, too! Do you have a favorite part of the story telling process to go with your favorite places?

MB: I have two – the first connection/meeting and the love scene. Why do I love it? I think there’s something about that first moment when you bring two characters together, knowing they have a bumpy ride ahead of them before they get their happy ending that gives me a thrill. Then there’s the first time they truly come together, the spiritual or emotional connection, because even though my characters don’t know it yet, that connection had bound them for life. That makes it very special for me.

AH: You loved Colin Firth in Girl with a Pearl Earring. Do you ever “cast” the roles in your books with film stars or other people you’ve seen?

MB: I don’t “cast” my characters per se. I might get an image in my head of what the characters could look like and then they seem to grow from there. I think when you concentrate too much on what TV or Hollywood character your hero or heroine could be like, it tends to dilute character building. Sure, I might “borrow” one or two physical attributes, like giving my heroine Mila Kunis’ awesome eyelashes, or McDreamy’s square jaw line, but that’s it.

AH: Speaking of characteristics, are there any potentially controversial qualities, or situations for heroes you would hesitate to write, and do you think these are things that would ever become accepted in the romance field in the future?

MB: Stem-cell research and the production of “designer babies” are subjects I’ve been particularly fascinated with, but not enough to venture writing a story about. I’m sure there’re some talented writers out there who would be happy to or are even tackling subjects like that now. Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper, I believe, tackles this subject.

AH: Now for a total change of pace. I'm going to ask you to put on your book industry forecasting hat and give me your opinion: electronic or dead tree books? Where do you think we're headed? Are printed books dead-tomes-walking?

MB: Paper books will always be with us, IMO, because I know people who simply refuse to read electronically. For that reason, while I applaud the strides e-books have made, I think the two will continue to co-exist side by side for the near future, with hopefully, the e-book industry growing to match paper book power.

AH: I agree. Sometimes you love your eReader, others, you just want to hold an old-school style book in your hands. Last question, and I think you've earned it. What do you do to reward yourself at the end of a long day...or a long interview?

MB: By reading a great book or watching a movie with my husband with a glass of delicious rosé and chocolate within arm’s reach.

AH: What better combo? Before you go, can you give readers a hint of what you're working on right now?

MB: I have a few short stories in progress, which I hope to publish with The Wild Rose Press. I’m also working with a couple of Harlequin editors at the moment.

AH: Excellent! Sounds like readers have a lot to look forward to from you. Thank you, Maya! It's been a pleasure.

MB: It’s been fun answering your questions, Aileen, and thank you so much for having me here today!

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Wondering where to find Maya on the Web?
Follow these links:

www.mayabauthor.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com.mayablake
www.minxesofromance.blogspot.com
You can buy Hostage To Love here

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I know that Maya would love to respond to your comments, so please leave one below, and check back next week when my guest will be paranormal and romantic suspense writer Christine de Petrillo.

And the Winner of a Book From Caroline Clemmons is...

2010-08-04T23:22:00.000-07:00

In honor of Caroline Clemmons' home state, I put the name of everyone who entered on a slip of paper, swirled the names overhead in my favorite Texasware confetti mixing bowl and drew...

Debra St. John!

Congrats Debra. Happy reading!

Wild Roses Blog Tour: Interview with Caroline Clemmons

2010-08-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's time to kick off the Wild Roses Blog Tour! Today I'm guest blogging at paranormal writer Lilly Gayle's blog. But first I'm pleased to host my guest, Texan romance author Caroline Clemmons.

Caroline's talents extend to several subgenres, including my favorite, paranormal, as well as historical and contemporary. Her titles include Out of the Blue, Long Way Home, a novella in Northern Roses and Southern Belles, plus The Texan's Irish Bride due out September 3rd, and the upcoming Home Sweet Texas Home. All are from The Wild Rose Press.

To start off the interview, I asked Caroline to give us an idea what attracted her to writing and what life is like for her when she's not chained to her keyboard.

Caroline Clemmons: As long as I can remember, I've made up adventures. Okay, I admit the early creative stories featured me riding the range with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and saving the West. What a disappointment to learn that Roy was exclusively committed to Dale! Eventually, my best friend from across the street and I decided to become better detectives than Nancy Drew. We drove our parents and neighbors crazy sticking our pert little noses where they didn't belong. About that time I started writing down my adventures, but mostly I was a reader. Not until I read Nora Roberts' early novels did I decide to create my own romance manuscripts. I still read Nora's books—as well as those of countless other authors—but now I write full time.

My Hero and I live on a small bit of acreage in the ranching and horse country of North Central Texas. Our two daughters are grown, and supportive of my writing. Living with Hero and me now are Webster, our sweet black Shih Tzu, and our two shorthaired cats: Sebastian, a black and white tuxedo who thinks he's our watchcat; and Bailey Erin, a shy apricot tabby. When I'm not writing, I love traveling with Hero, browsing antique malls, and digging into family history and genealogy. Writing about strong heroes and heroines who overcome amazing obstacles to forge a meaningful life together is my passion.

Interview continues below:
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Win a PDF copy of the Civil War anthology Northern Roses and Southern
Belles, or the paranormal time travel Out of the Blue from Caroline
Clemmons. To enter, leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
Then check back tomorrow to see if you're the lucky winner!

From Wild Roses Blog Tour Graphics

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Aileen Harkwood: Do you like to set your stories where you live, or someplace far away?

CC: Except for one novella, the major portion all of my books take place in Texas, even if part of the book is set elsewhere. Since I have lived in Texas most of my life, my knowledge of this setting is greater than elsewhere. You’ve heard “Write what you know.” Also, Texas has a diverse terrain, so I can choose piney woods, desert, prairies, mountains, or coast and still be in Texas. I’d love to set a book in Ireland or Scotland, but haven’t yet. No particular reason to set one there, except that I love both countries as well as England and Wales. For now, I’m sticking to Texas.

AH: Romance tends to focus description primarily on the hero and heroine and their feelings, while glossing over other types of description. How important are the other types of description to you, and how do you use them to not simply decorate a story but build it?

CC: Very good question, and one I’ve not heard before. I want readers to form a clear picture of the secondary characters and the setting. It’s important to me to “set” the story and make the characters three-dimensional.

AH: Do you “cast” the roles in your books with film stars or other people you’ve seen?

CC: No, the people are in my head and don’t resemble any living person. The heroes always have the good qualities of my husband and some of his mannerisms, but that’s as close as I come to using real people in my books.

AH: How important is daydreaming to the creation of your stories? Are you all business when you write? Or do you like to let your mind wander until it finds the narrative thread?

CC: I have a cartoon I’ve saved of the character Shoe from the Sunday funnies. Several panels show him with his feet up on his desk staring into the air. Someone comes up to him and he yells, “Can’t you see I’m writing?” That’s the way I am when I’m plotting. I may not always be at the computer, but I’m always thinking of my characters and story and what they should do next and how they should do it. Once I get started writing, though, I’m all business so I can get the words down.

AH: Paper books or eBooks? Where do you think the future is headed? Say, three, five, ten years from now?

CC: I hope there’s a future for both. E-books are so much more sensible—saves the trees and shipping costs. But there are some books I want in tangible form so I can save them on a shelf to reread.

AH: Are writing sex scenes hard or easy for you? What advice can you offer pre-pubbed writers who might find writing them intimidating?

CC: Writing sex scenes is the worst part of the book for me. I know many people love that part of writing, but it seems intrusive to me. I’d rather just close the bedroom door and let readers imagine what’s going on, but that’s not what sells books. To unpubbed, I’d suggest reading some best selling authors and see how each handles sex scenes, then choose a style that’s suited to his or her characters.

AH: What’s your favorite guilty pleasure? How do you reward yourself?

CC: With chocolate and Dr Pepper. Great combination that nudges the muse.

____________________

Visit Caroline on the web at: http://carolineclemmons.com, and check back on August 11, when my guest will be Lauri Robinson, author of Wish Craft and Boot Hill Bride.

July Wolf's Den Contest Winner Announced

2010-08-01T00:26:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Kathy W.!

After a random drawing, she's been selected the winner of the $77 Amazon.com Gift Card, as part of the Lucky 7s Contest to celebrate the release of Wolf's Den.

My thanks to everyone who entered. It was fun holding my first contest, and I'm glad to have been able to give away such a cool prize. I plan to hold more contests in the future, so be sure to check back soon.

Who Do You Write Like?

2010-07-16T23:15:00.001-07:00

Curious which famous author your writing most closely resembles? Check out this fun, and decidedly quirky website, I Write Like.

All you need to do is enter a few paragraphs of your own writing, and let the site analyze it, spitting out the name of your supposed literary kin.

Here's the scoop from the Associated Press:

I Write Like Erupts Online, Authors Scratch Heads

NEW YORK — For anyone who has ever thought Charles Dickens was lurking inside his or her prose, a new website claims it can find your inner author.
The recently launched I Write Like has one simple gimmick: You paste a few paragraphs that exemplify your writing, then click "analyze" and — poof! — you get a badge telling you that you write like Stephen King or Ernest Hemingway or Chuck Palahniuk.
The site's traffic has soared in recent days and its arrival has lit up the blogosphere. Gawker tried a transcript from one of the leaked Mel Gibson phone calls. The suggested author: Margaret Atwood.
The New Yorker found that an invitation to a birthday party was James Joycean. Many others were aghast to discover they wrote similarly to "The Da Vinci Code" scribe Dan Brown.
The New York Times tried putting in actual novels, such as "Moby-Dick." Herman Melville, it turns out, writes less like himself than King, according to I Write Like.
Atwood, herself, tried the site only to discover she also apparently writes like King. "Who knew?" she tweeted.

Eager to try out this kooky new tool, I copied and pasted a few paragraphs from one of three books I've been working on and presto! It turns out I write like Stephenie Meyer. Hmn, curious, since there isn't a vamp or a werewolf in the entire thing!

Release Day!

2010-07-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

Finally, the day is here. Wolf's Den is now available online. To wet your appetite, I'm posting a second excerpt below. The first excerpt is available here.

Luka?

“Where did you hear that name?” he asked.

“I didn’t. It’s mine.”

“I don’t believe you.” A growl replaced the hurt sound that had come from deep in his chest. “Who told you? Are you a voyeur, as well? Did you spy on us while we made love?”

Spy on him and Anya? Would she do that?

“It’s my name,” she insisted, and then was overcome by a violent fit of coughing. She couldn’t breathe. The smoke was poisoning her lungs and starving her blood of oxygen. She grew dizzy.

She watched him, the supreme effort it took to regain control, but he clamped down and put away his darker half.

“Wait here until you hear the shots, then go,” Griff told her. “Head for the trees, and when you reach them, keep running. Don’t stop.”

He turned, looked back once, and then vanished into the smoke and flames devouring the cabin.

In addition to The Wild Rose Press, Wolf's Den is also available from Amazon.com.

Wolf's Den Receives 4-1/2 Tea Cups Review from Happily Ever After

2010-07-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled and relieved. My first book review is a good one! Book 1 of The Legacy of the White Wolf has its first review. 4-1/2 Tea Cups from Happily Ever After Reviews. Among the comments:

This was an excellent paranormal romance, mostly because of the author’s fluid, poetic writing style...Who doesn’t want to read about true love conquering death?...The characters and dialogue were realistic and enjoyable. Great job!

My thanks to reviewer LynnMarie.

Where Do Wolves Live in the Wild?

2010-07-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

Wolves, most commonly the Grey Wolf, inhabit few areas of the wild in the U.S. Accordingly to the graphic below (courtesy Wiki), wolves are found in Alaska, Yellowstone National Park, and the northern most parts of some of the Great Lakes states. Green areas show present populations, while red areas show "extirpated" areas where wolves once thrived.

The tiny green dot you see in the desert southwest represents the rare Mexican wolf, which was eliminated from the wild in the 1950s, then reintroduced in a small range in southeastern Arizona in 1998.

Congratulations to FREE Book Winners

2010-07-03T13:26:00.001-07:00

Wolf's Den debuts in just 4 days. Though 7 lucky winners have already claimed their free copies of the book, there's still plenty of time to enter the contest drawing to win a $77 Amazon.com Gift Card. It's easy, all you have to do is sign up for my occasional newsletter.

Click here to enter.

In the meantime, congratulations to the following on winning a copy of Wolf's Den!

Leslie Y.
Carly M.
Judy C.
Shkye M.
Diane S.
Yadira A.
Nikki B.

Thank you to everyone who has entered so far and been following my blog.

Contest Starts Today, Wolf's Den Arrives in 7 and Counting

2010-07-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's just a week until the first book in my Legacy of the White Wolf series begins. You don't have to wait a week to read it, however, not if you're one of the 7 winners who receives a copy of Wolf's Den now.

The contest doesn't stop at free books either. All who enter are also eligible to win a gift card from Amazon.com that will be awarded August 1.

Enter the Contest Now.

Call for New Samhain Anthology

2010-06-28T17:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a great opportunity for all those who love to write romance, but aren't that confident with erotica. Samhain has just opened submissions for a less spicy antho.

Springtime “Just Romance” Anthology

Samhain is dialing down the heat and focusing on the romance for a Springtime “Just Romance” Anthology.

I’m excited to announce an open call for submissions for a new anthology for Spring 2011. The theme is Springtime, and in keeping with that theme, I’m looking for stories that focus on blossoming romance rather than full-blown sexual relationships, chemistry rather than combustion, the spark of attraction rather than the blaze of passion.
The stories can have closed-door sex scenes, glossed-over sex scenes, or characters who are waiting until after the book is over. There can be as much romantic and sexual tension as the book can handle, but no explicit language, and all stories must end with a happily ever after or happy for now.
I’m open to all sub-genres of romance, and all types of sexuality: m/f, m/m, f/f and combinations thereof.

The anthology will include novellas from 20,000 to 25,000 words in length and will be released individually as separate ebooks in May 2011 and will be combined as one print title for mid 2012 print release.
Submissions are open until November 1st, 2010 and the final decisions will be made by November 30th, 2010.

More info: http://www.samhainpublishing.com/submissions

Excerpt from Wolf's Den

2010-06-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

Just realized I haven't posted an excerpt.

“Dangerous. Why?
Do you think I can’t take every delicious inch of you? Do you think I can’t handle you?”
He blinked, astonished by this statement and apparently at a loss for words. It was, she had to admit, the single cheesiest thing she’d ever said aloud. She watched him trying to figure out how best to react, while at the same time maintaining that stern, “we aren’t going to have sex, no-way, no-how” attitude.
The longer they looked at one another without saying anything, the harder it was to keep a straight face. She couldn’t say who broke under pressure first, but suddenly both of them were laughing uncontrollably. She collapsed forward in hysterics, her forehead dropping against his chest.
A few seconds later, she realized he’d gone completely still.
He pounced.

How Many Drafts/Edits Does It Take?

2010-06-27T01:12:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder how many drafts the average author writes? How many edits it takes before a manuscript is ready for submission/publication? Is there a normal? Or does it vary by book? If you're a writer, I invite you to post your average here, your best, or your most frustrating time with a manuscript. To get things going I'll fess up to how many it took for my paranormal.

Note: I can't express how grateful I am to my editor, Eilidh MacKenzie, who is insightfulness personified.

Drafts before submission: 3

Including a somewhat horrifying major revision, doubling the manuscript's size (what made me think I was done at that first draft?).

Edit passes upon acceptance: 4

One mediumish set of revisions, one minor, two fine tunings during the galley stage.

So how about you? Are you good with the first draft, or do you find yourself wanting to make changes even as the book is going to publication?

Talented Cover Artist: Nicola Martinez

2010-06-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Wow!

That's what I said when I saw the cover for Wolf's Den, designed by Nicola Martinez, Senior Editor & Production of The Wild Rose Press.

One of the things I like best about working with this publisher is that they solicit input from their authors about what they'd like to see on their covers. Nicola definitely read my mind on this one.

You can enjoy her gallery of romance covers from cowboy to historical, contemporary to fantasy, posted at TWRP. While you're there, check out the galleries of all the other fabulous artists dreaming up covers for established authors as well as newbies like me.

Release Date Set

2010-06-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

Just 11 days and counting until the publication of Wolf's Den!

Wolf's Den: Legacy of the White Wolf Book 1 takes you to the lands of the Kith, remote, forested mountains of the Pacific Northwest and Western Rockies where werewolf clans, who have lived in secret for centuries, abide by a code of blood, honor, and magic. Let me share their seductive world—and their sexy alpha heroes!—with you when Book 1 is released by The Wild Rose Press on July 7.

Here's the blurb:

Waking with amnesia in a body made for sin, Luka is a woman with an identity crisis. Not only doesn't she know her last name, why can't she remember the intense stranger with wolfen eyes who makes her want to howl with sexual hunger? Why has he accused her of a gruesome murder she knows she didn't commit?

Griffin is a wolf in mourning, sworn to bring his mate's killer to justice. His beloved Anya has just died of the bloodsong, a ritual magic forbidden among his people, in which the wolf can be called out in anyone, even humans such as Anya, who can't survive the transformation. How is it, then, that when he looks into her killer's eyes he sees not a murderess, but his own mysterious destiny?

Welcome!

2010-06-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

I'm glad you stopped by for a visit. It's both exciting and nerve-wracking to be a new author. I've loved reading paranormal and romantic suspense for so long, that I feel honored to be a writer in my favorite genre.

I hope you enjoy my blog and pop back to enter July's multi-prize contest. Join me throughout the month for guest bloggers, excerpts, and hints at more books to come.

Please feel free to drop me a line via my contact page or leave a comment or two here. I'd love to hear from you!

Aileen

Graphics to Grab

2010-06-22T11:29:00.000-07:00