Questions & Answers (otherwise known as FAQs)

How long have you been writing?  Is writing books something you’ve always wanted to do?

I have loved storytelling and writing since I was a child.  I would spend hours writing stories of imaginary worlds and drawing the pictures to go with the action.  When I was in my twenties, I turned to poetry and stories of the supernatural.  As I grew older, my interests varied and I turned to other subjects.

How did you go about publishing that first book?

Actually, it was pure chance.  I had submitted two of my manuscripts to publishers.  In the meantime, Port Town Publishing approached me, asking if I would review their recent release for my “Books for Romance Readers” site on AOL.  Before I agreed, I checked the publisher’s site and learned that Port Town Publishing was accepting submissions.  I asked if they would like to see my historical romance, and the rest is history.

Is the book based upon true accounts/events and/or real people?

Although FIERY SURRENDER starts out in France, the second half of my book is set in the American Colonies and concentrates on the 1863 Battle of Yorktown, Virginia.  It mentions several people who were actually involved in that battle and the historical events that preceded it; individuals such as General Cornwallis, the Marquis de Lafayette, Count Rochambeau and General George Washington. 

I conducted research in Yorktown and Williamsburg, VA; the Library of Congress in Washington, DC; and in local libraries before I started the book.  That research continued as I wrote the novel and involved trips to the places mentioned in my novel: Newport, Rhode Island, as well as Paris and Versailles, France.  I wanted to ensure that the events and characters mentioned in my book were historically accurate.

Does your family background come into play in FIERY SURRENDER?

It plays a great role in my decision to choose the background for the hero and heroine.  My mother is German and my father is of French extraction.  Therefore, my hero is the bastard son of a French Marquis, and my heroine is the daughter of a Prussian Count who has a French mother.

Do your books always take place during the same time period?

No, the time periods vary.  SHADOW OF DOUBT, my contemporary romantic suspense released by Port Town Publishing in October 2002, is set on the towering cliffs near Mendocino, California, an area my husband and I visited frequently when we lived in Southern California.  And LANI'S CHALLENGE, a romantic suspense set in Washington, DC, came about after I studied murder and forensics for two years, then rode with a Baltimore Police Department detective. I have several romances in progress that span different time periods and themes, including a paranormal (based upon my working for three years in that field) and a non-fiction book on adopting older children from overseas. 

Why is it of interest to you? What inspired you to write this book?

I have loved history since I was a child, and probably visited every fort and battlefield on the East Coast.  On my first visit to Yorktown, Virginia, I was fascinated by the fact Cornwallis’ surrender ultimately led to the end of the Revolutionary War.

How do you come up with your ideas?

I’m a voracious reader, so my ideas stem from historical events, books and newspaper articles I read, things I see on TV or hear on the radio, people I meet. In short, anything that has a human interest.

How long does it take to write a book?  How many hours a day do you write?

FIERY SURRENDER took me two years to write due to the amount of research I put into it, but generally, a book takes me six months to a year to write.  My romantic suspense, SHADOW OF DOUBT, released in October 2002, took a little less than a year. I received a contract on LANI'S CHALLENGE in August 2005, and it was published in December 2005. I did most of the writing while I was in Kazahkstan, adopting our youngest son.

Writing is my career, so I set aside a minimum of fifteen minutes each day to write. Those fifteen minutes more often than not turn into several hours. When I surpass that goal, I’m elated. I also tend to write while my children are in school (if I'm not working at my part-time consulting job) and after they're asleep.

It is hard writing sex scenes?  Does your husband help with the research?

First, let me say that sex begins with the initial eye contact and progresses to the first smile, the first touch, the first kiss, etc.  Without the initial attraction and subsequent scenes that reveal the characters’ reactions, both physical and emotional, the reader would not be involved in the characters or the romance.  By the time the hero and heroine have sex in my book, they are in love, though they may inwardly deny the fact.  That said, writing the actual sex scenes can be difficult, however I find it easier when I concentrate on the emotional responses of the characters as they make love. I give tidbits of information about what’s going on physically, but I prefer to let the reader’s imagination carry the weight of the characters’ actions.

Naturally, my husband helps me with the research.  In fact, that’s one of the many reasons he loves the fact I write romances and enjoys reading my books. That and our shared love of history and mysteries.

Who was your role model? Was there a teacher who inspired you?

I have several role models, all multi-published authors like Stephen King, Nora Roberts, P.D. James, etc.  While they write in different genres, they are great storytellers who keep readers turning the pages and wanting more when they finish reading the book.

Why do you write romance?

Romances are uplifting and reassuring.  They leave readers with the sense that there is always hope for happiness.  I once saw a saying on the Internet: “A heart is a circle pulled and tugged by life.”  I feel that life is like a road: love helps us glide over the obstacles that block our path.  Romances rekindle our belief in friendship, love and family.

What is a Romance?

Most novels are plot-driven.  Romances are character-driven.  Romances are stories of courtship, ones that highlight the extraordinary ability of the human heart to heal.  They inspire readers to keep on trying, and reassure them that there are things in life worth fighting for, primarily love, marriage and family.

That’s why characters must be heroic, bigger than life. The hero and heroine triumph despite the many obstacles placed in their way. They work through past disappointments and present complications because they sense traits in the other person they admire and/or need to complete their life and themselves. 

Romances have a happy ending, either implied or explicit, because that’s what the readers want and expect.  Romance readers also want to experience that initial attraction to a member of the opposite sex, the ritual dance of courtship, the internal thoughts and outward reactions of the characters.  These character emotions generate power and intensity in the reader.

That’s the reader’s escape – the reaffirmation that we all can triumph over life’s obstacles and find love.  Love makes everyday life bearable.

Why do readers read romance? 

For many reasons, including escapism, entertainment, adventure, pleasure, a happy ending.  They also like to become someone other than herself or himself for a brief time, to identify with the heroine or hero. 

What do they expect? 

Readers want total involvement in the characters, a plot that involves a challenge with an exciting conflict. They want to be transported to another place and time, to fall in love with the characters, and to laugh and cry.  Mostly, however, they want the affirmation of life, love and, and the encouragement of triumph that all romances bring.