If you could give your book to one
person who would it be and why?
Stephen King. And, oddly enough, not
because he’s a famous
author, but because I read a non-fiction book he wrote called, “On
Writing.” This was at a time when I was
ready to give up on the whole ‘dream’ because of rejection letters and
non-belief in the fact that I really wasn’t cut out to be a writer –
that I
didn’t have the talent necessary to do this for a living.
His book inspired me to continue, and I would
love him to read any of my books. It
would be a huge thrill for me.
What
is your writing procedure?
It’s been said that
there are two kinds of
writers. The first, are able to sit down
in front of a computer and just write, off-the-cuff,
with no notes, no outlines, just the very basic idea of what they want
to say – and then let the story unfold. I’m the
other type. I need to have an outline prepared,
even though I know that when I ‘get’ into the book, things
have a way of going in a different direction.
Because I use historical places a great deal, I also do a
lot of
research regarding the scenery, the people, all the way down to the
imports and
exports of the town, to make sure that I do the location justice.
What advice would
you give new writers?
This
is such a “form-letter” answer, but
my advice is to write. Write as much as
you can. If you have a limited amount of
time due to work, family, etc., like I do – try with all your might to
set
aside time in the evenings after everyone has gone to bed, and write.
Oh, and don’t take every agent and every
publisher rejection to heart. Most of
the time, guys, no one read your query letter in the first place. All it takes is one acceptance.
You’ve worked in the publishing
industry as an editor, has this affected how you write?
The only thing I really took from being an
editor was, of course, spelling, grammar, and structure of sentences
(and I’m
still learning.) Manuscripts, above all,
have to be clean. Even if the story is
outstanding and has never been seen before, if your letter or your
manuscript
is filled with mistakes, no agent or publisher will touch it.
Your books have very different styles;
did you find yourself favoring one over the others?
I love the historical adventure stories that
I’m currently
doing. They give me the blank canvas
needed
to insert romance, science fiction, fantasy moments, historical
figures, mystery,
suspense - and still keep a modern-day tale going strong.
I don’t want to pigeon-hole myself into one
single genre. I am partial to combining
everything I can into one, and making the story one you can’t put down. The suspense has to be there for the reader
to continue.
What made you pick your subject matter
for Heart of a Legend?
I moved to New Mexico about five years ago. Here, of course, Billy the Kid is a legendary
figure. However, I was visiting his
“grave” up in Ft. Sumner
and I came across Paulita Maxwell in the cemetery.
This led me on a quest of my own. There
were many women in the Old West that
were a HUGE part of history but they were overlooked for the popular
male
outlaws. I wanted Paulita’s story told
because she WAS the heart of the legend and her voice, her struggle
deserved to
be heard.
You
have very a very descriptive
writing style when it comes to the locations your characters are in.
Does your
place to write in have an inspirational view?
I
love this question,
because I actually don’t. I wish I
did. I have a very dimly-lit area with a
window that looks out on practically nothing of interest.
But, I have had the opportunity to see much
of the U.S.
and I always keep those pictures locked firmly inside my mind. I haven’t, unfortunately, gotten to see the
historical places in Athens,
Rome,
etc. that I’m currently writing about, but I can see them through the
windows
in my mind. (And, of course, Google
helps a great deal). I think without
scenery, without the ability to make sure that your reader is standing
beside
you in a beautiful or, in some cases, eerie, setting – then the reader
won’t
really FEEL what’s going on with the characters. They
won’t care.
Both
Heart of a Legend, and Mind Made have strong romantic overtones flowing
through
the story do you consider love to be an important aspect of a person’s
everyday
life?
Actually, no. Sounds
terrible, I’m sure. For the two first
books I wrote, it just so
happened that the romance between the specific characters was what
brought out
the loyalty, etc. that they needed to survive the situations they were
placed
in. I think that respect – more than
deep-heated romance – is essential to believing that the characters are
a true
team. You route for them.
Sparks
of chemistry are always good, too. They
make the readers come back for the sequel.
What’s next for you?
I have two series, actually, that I’m currently working
on. The first is a trilogy called The
Angel Chronicles, which are based on an angel/warrior team who are born
in
Heaven and placed on Earth in the bodies of the recently deceased to
finish
what they began. Going from 1800’s Ireland,
through the Gilded Age of the early 1900’s.
The next project I’m involved with is a historical/commercial
fiction
series. The main character is the Head
of Research for the NYPL. She’s joined
by an almost obsessed “adventurer/billionaire” who is searching for
some of the
most elusive artifacts known to mankind.
Each book is a puzzle within a puzzle to be worked out, leading
the
reader on a roller-coaster ride through ancient places, a killer’s
mind, and
more. We’re also working on a screenplay
for The Heart of a Legend, which is very exciting.
I just heard the good news that you’ve
been signed on for a new series. Congratulations. Would you care to
tell us a
bit about it?
Thank you. It’s been
a long time coming, but I am very lucky to have been signed by a top
agent who
saw the new series I spoke about above as something that had to be in
the
marketplace. The first book is called, 13, and the follow-up is titled, The
Sapphire Storm. I’ve just begun the
third which is
tentatively titled, The Heroes Companion.
I can’t wait to be able to share them with
readers.