Time really does fly when I’m having fun! This week the Romantic Suspense group (#43) in the recently concluded Rachael Harrie’s Platform Building Campaign is hosting a Getting-to-Know-You Blogfest. Since some of us are doing NaNo, we’re giving ourselves a week to drop by each others blogs and cement the connections we’ve made during this Campaign. Without any more chit-chatting, here are my answers as to why I write what I do.
Name two romantic suspense authors who inspire you.
I’ve been a fan of Nora Roberts for a long time and enjoy her stories and the way in which she writes. She isn't called the Queen of Suspense for nothing.
BeverlyJenkins is another writer I enjoy reading. It was only a few years ago that I discovered that ethnic romance is a big seller and since then I’ve been hooked on her characters and storytelling skills.
How did you start writing in your genre?
I started reading romances before I was twelve years old. Those were published by Harlequin and Mills & Boon. I also read many books written by Barbara Cartland. Then I discovered romantic suspense, which combined romance with the other stuff I like – action, dangerous situations, mystery, suspense. I was sold with the first romantic suspense novel I read. Some, I didn’t consider all that suspenseful and engrossing. I suspect this line of though encouraged me to see if I could do as good or better.
You’ve landed a meeting with your dream agent. Write a one paragraph pitch to sell your novel to him/her. (No more than four sentences)
Trying to outrun her failed relationships, Celeste flees Jamaica, determined to reinvent herself. But resolutions make poor companions and when Mark Weekes enters her life, Celeste forgets why she has sworn off men.
Mark is gun shy and leaves Cayman to avoid Celeste. Under the guise of a business trip, Celeste follows him, plunging them both into a world of commercial dealings fraught with piracy and intellectual property theft.
Sabotage or accident – which would you put your female lead through and why.
Without a doubt, sabotage works best for me. It gives my twisted mind wonderful possibilities to explore, and helps develop my characters. The after effects from accidents raise health challenges, demonstrate coping skills, but not a lot of exciting scenarios. At least, nothing that gets me excited to write.
Plotter or Pantser? Who are you?
I wrote my first and second novels without any sort of plan. That scatter-shot approach cost me dearly in terms of time and effort in editing. I don’t think I’ll ever be plotting down to the last details, but writing comes easier if I’ve worked out two to three major plot points in my mind before I start writing. I also do better if I have some kind of character chart. It’s kinda like having a compass to keep me on course.
See the participating list of bloggers here.
See the participating list of bloggers here.
I’m pleased to announce the five winners of my book Hardware, which was released on November 1. Thanks so much for entering! I really appreciate your support.
Denise Covey (who also happens to be participating in the blogfest above)
I’ll be contacting you all by email later today.
