Author Name: Mary Jo Putney
Website: www.maryjoputney.com & www.mjputney.com
Genre: Historical romance & romantic fantasy
Latest book in shops now: Stolen Magic and The Marriage Spell (June 2006)

Before we begin this interview, I need to check that you’re still grounded and that your head isn’t swollen from all of your success, so with that in mind, when was the last time you did the ironing in your house? *g*

I can assure you that my lack of ironing greatly precedes any writing success I’ve achieved. (g) Wash and wear is one of life’s great blessings. But if ironing is absolutely, totally necessary and unavoidable, I do it myself.

Your heroes tend to sway from the norm in terms of their flaws, for example, Michael, in Shattered Rainbows once had an affair with a married woman, (which is usually a no-no in a romance), and Reggie, from The Rake was an alcoholic. Do you ever feel that you’re taking a big risk when you create heroes who break some of the unwritten rules when it comes to traditional romance novels?

Actually, I’m usually rather clueless. I’ll come up with an idea for what seems like a great story, pitch it to my editor, and if she says yes, I’m off. Only later is it likely to occur to me that what I did might be considered risky. (I should note that both the books you mentioned were done for the same editor, a woman who allowed her authors great latitude if they were able to make a story work. I was lucky to have her.)

Kiss of Fate was the first book in your Guardians series, which combines historical romance with the paranormal. What made you decide to take this particular path?

I was beginning to feel a little burned out on historical romance and in danger of repeating myself. Of my last two straight historicals, one started with the hero dead and the next with the heroine dead.

When that happens, clearly the author is reaching. (g) But I’d always loved science fiction and fantasy—I read it long before I read romance—so it was very exciting to come up with the concept for the Guardian series. It allowed me to bring fresh twists to writing history and romance.

A lot of your books have been set in Europe, as an American, how much research do you undertake for the sake of historical accuracy?

Quite a bit, but I have the advantages of a degree in 18th Century British literature, plus I lived in Oxford for more than two years, and have visited Britain many other times. I’m sure I make mistakes, but I did start with a solid foundation in British history and culture.

You’ve won numerous industry awards including two RITAS, four consecutive Golden Leaf Awards for Best Historical Romance, and the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Historical Romance, what exactly do these awards mean to you, and do you think they make a difference to readers generally?

It’s very satisfying to know that one’s work is valued, but ultimately awards are just someone’s personal opinion. If a writer has received numerous awards, it suggests that her work is generally well-respected, and that can be useful to a reader in deciding what to try next. But even masses of awards doesn’t guarantee that any given reader will like a particular author’s work. The process is more subjective than that.

When you develop your characters, do you model them on people you know in your life, or do they all come from inside your head?

The people are always products of my imagination, though sometimes I’ll assign them some trait taken from real life. The cats, however, are always real cats. (g)

Well of course they are!(g)

Do you ever get compared to other historical romance writers, e.g. Loretta Chase? If so, how does that make you feel?

People regularly confuse me with Jo Beverley and Mary Balogh, as well as Loretta Chase. We all started in traditional Regency romance in the ‘80s, and we all moved into historical romance, with an emphasis on the Regency period. I have absolutely no problem with being compared to them. They’re all fine writers, and friends as well.

Do any of members of your family read your books, and if so, what kind of feedback do you get from them?

My Significant Other is my first reader; he adores my books and reads them over and over and over. Other family members will read sometimes, but the biggest fan is my sister’s husband, a professor of economics. He loves my stuff and reads e-files as soon as the book is done. If he spots any errors, he’ll point them out, but mostly he give great, positive, enthusiastic feedback. This is good. (G)

Wow, you actually have men owning up to reading your books? I’m impressed!

What were your favourite books as a child?

Robert Heinlein’s sf novels. Swiss Family Robinson. Anything with horses or cats in it. Tom Corbett, space cadet. But I’d read just about anything. Later I discovered Mary Stewart, Dorothy Dunnett, Georgette Heyer—the list is pretty much endless.

What does a typical day as a writer consist of?

I get out of bed sluggishly, feed the cats, then myself, wander upstairs to check the e-mail, run errands, including going out to exercise three morning a week, waste lots of time during the day. (To be fair, that includes a lot of the business side of writing—website, promo, copyedits, etc., etc. And things like this interview.) Somewhere along the way, I may get some writing done. Evening is my best creative time. It amazes me that anything ever gets finished.

If you only got 5 books to keep for the rest of your life (the horror!) which would they be?

Aiieee! I can’t answer that, but I guarantee they’d all be really fat volumes. (g) Possibly the complete works of Shakespeare would be one volume, and the compact Oxford English Dictionary, assuming I could have the magnifying glass that goes with it, too.

Which authors are you glomming at the moment? (reading a lot of?)

I’ll read anything by Lois McMaster Bujold, Sharon Shinn, Laura Resnick, or Catherine Asaro, for starters. Or Loretta Chase, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, Jennifer Crusie, among others. I wouldn’t exactly glomming call that glomming because I already own the earlier works. More generally, I’m enjoying urban fantasy, and a good dose of non-fiction.

Do you have other close romance writer friends, and if so who are they? Becky’s Question

Many of my best friends are indeed writers (though certainly not all), but that falls into the area of my personal life, which I prefer to keep personal. Sorry, Becky!

When did you realise that you wanted to write books, and who or what inspired you?

I always loved reading stories—the classic “kid with her nose in a book.” And in a vague way, I thought it would be really cool to be a writer, by which I always meant novelist. But I grew up on a farm in Upstate New York, a very rural area, and certainly didn’t know any writers. It never occurred to me that writing was an achievable ambition until I bought a computer for my graphic design business.

If you could have a one-to-one conversation with a famous historical figure, who would it be with and what would you talk about?

Another tough one! Samuel Johnson, maybe. He was not only witty, but he liked cats. (I just got a pair of bookends modelled after his most famous cat, Hodge. *g*) I’d like to hear his views on the world and human nature.

I guess you like cats huh? *g*

How many times did you get rejected (if indeed you did) before you got published?

Ummm…..I wasn’t ever rejected. I sold my first book on a partial manuscript and never looked back. The market was easier then!

Wow, I didn’t think that ever happened top anyone!

What is your ultimate goal when it comes to your writing?

To continue to make a living writing the books I want to write. And to retire when and if I’m ready rather than because no publisher wants me.

How has the romance industry changed from when you first started writing, and which of these changes were you happiest/unhappiest with?

I came into the market in the mid-80s. The first great explosion of the genre had levelled off, but it was still a growing market, more willing to take chances. The market has become narrow and much harder to break into.

More rules, which can make for less exciting books. Also, before computers started tracking numbers, a writer could experiment more. If you wanted to set a book in India and it did poorly (and books set in India indeed do poorly), it wouldn’t ruin your career.

Now it’s like being on a tightrope, with the feeling that you could fall off at any moment for reasons that you might have no control over. Not that the business was ever easy, of course. But it’s harder now.

On the plus side, there are interesting new subgenres developing now.

In your vast experience, what would you say was the most effective method of marketing a romance novel?

“Write a great book.” That’s the hoariest of clichés, but still true. But while you’re writing about that great book, learn about the business. Join a romance writing group, go to conferences, analyze the books you read for why they work and why they don’t. Know the genre and where your work fits into it. And try to find a good agent so she can concentrate on selling your book while you concentrate on writing.

With the alleged decline in historical romance, do you think there’s an element of risk in continuing with books set prior to the 20th Century?

Heck, writing is always a risk. (g) Historicals continue to sell, and some newbies do manage to sell into the historical market. They have to be very, very good, but it does happen. It’s important to write what you love, because that passion will drive your story. Writing what you think has a better chance of selling even though you don’t love it is not a formula for success.

Which of your books is dearest to your heart, and why?

The Rake (originally published as The Rake and the Reformer), with its alcoholic hero, has a special place in my heart. Not only was it a passionately felt story (like many people, I’ve had up-close-and-personal experience with an alcoholic), but it expressed one of my favourite themes—redemption.

Plus, the book has been an enduring success. It had a lot to do with putting me on the map as a writer, and it still turns up on all-time best romance lists, which pleases me enormously. But I love all of my stories, or I couldn’t write them.

I’ve always wondered about this, but as an author, once your books are published, do you actually go back and read them yourself, and if so, are you able to enjoy them, or do you perhaps see things that make you want to chew your own arm off in frustration? (grin).

I’ll occasionally have reason to reread an older book, and yes, I can relax and enjoy it. (G) I’ll notice places where the writing could be cleaner, but the characters and story still hold up. It was the best book I knew how to do at the time that I did it, so I’m not going kick myself now.

Has anything a reviewer or reader said or written about you changed the way you write?

Not really. I stand by my psychology and plot logic, while recognizing that everyone brings different experiences to a book, so not all readers will see things the same way. (Particularly with contemporaries, I’ll see people saying a character wouldn’t do such and such when what they mean is that they wouldn’t do such and such. Historical readers seem to look at things more broadly.)

On the other hand, if someone points out a factual error, I’ll do my best to fix it or at least avoid repeating it. For example, in my most recent book, Stolen Magic, I mentioned the heroine seeing black squirrels in a London park without bothering to check because I thought I knew the answer. Wrong! A British born reader in Canada e-mailed and politely pointed out my error, and I was able to get it fixed in the paperback edition, which will be out in July.

Lol, there’s always someone out there willing to point your mistakes out huh? *g*

Last year, RWA attempted to try to define romance, and it caused a bit of a furore round the blogosphere, due to the limitations of the definitions. What were your thoughts on this at the time, and do you think it’s possible/necessary to define romance in a way that doesn’t exclude other sub-genres?

I don’t really see the need to get into rigid definitions. Most readers understand what a romance is just fine. Different people want different things, of course, but I don’t think RWA should be wasting energy on this.

I totally agree!

When was the last time you went overseas and where did you go?

In May 2005 we had a wonderful trip to South Africa. In September we had a very brief visit to Canada, but that’s not overseas. I suppose I average about one trip abroad a year. This year’s trip will be a September riverboat cruise on the Douro River in Portugal.

Oh Portugal is absolutely booootiful!!! I loved it when we went there!

Who are your favourite romance hero and heroine of all time?

The easy answer is Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. (g) Otherwise, it’s too hard a question to answer!

If only one person could read your book, who would that be? (as in the person who you would want most to read your book)

Probably my Significant Other. Not only does he enjoy the stories in the usual way, but he gets such a kick out of recognizing bits of real life that get morphed into the stories. (g)

If you had to pick, who would you say has been most influential within the romance genre?

Georgette Heyer was certainly been enormously influential. I suppose Kathleen Woodiwiss had a lot to do with shaping historical romance as we know it, though I’ve not personally read much of her work. And of course there are Mary Stewart’s wonderful romantic suspense stories. Practically all the romance writers I know have read Heyer and Stewart.

What was the last movie you saw?

I think that The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is the last movie we went to the theatre for, but we watch movies regularly at home on weekend evenings after I knock off work.

Name your top five favourite romantic films.

In no particular order:

The Scarlet Pimpernel—the version with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour
Shakespeare in Love—not a conventional happy ending, but I adored it. It’s a real English major’s movie. (g)
Sense and Sensibility—the Emma Thompson version
When Harry Met Sally—I like the way the romance develops over time.
Ladyhawke—an incredibly romantic movie, despite Matthew Broderick’s character

But I could easily come up with a different list tomorrow. (g)

What was the last book you read, and did you enjoy it?

Sharon Shinn’s fantasy The Truth-Teller’s Tale. Though a YA, it was still so well-done that it held my attention all the way through. Though more of a girl—growing—to—maturity story, it did have three romances in it. Shinn does wonderful characterizations, and even in a quiet domestic story like this, she creates page-turners.

Have you ever written a book that you didn’t particularly care for, and do you cringe if you see people picking it up to read it?

No—if I’m not satisfied with a book, it doesn’t get sent to the editor. I’ll work on it until I think it’s okay.

What do you enjoy the most and least about being a writer?

I love controlling my own time, and being able to make my living telling stories that others enjoy. The downside is actually having to write the books, which is seriously hair-pulling work!

Have you got any words of wisdom for the aspiring writers out there? Any good research sources?

There is simply no substitute for sitting down in a chair and writing, no matter how painful the process or how disappointed you are in your work. Once you have something on paper, you can revise, edit, tweak, whatever.

As long as it’s only in your head, it doesn’t really exist. As for research resources—one of my favourites is The London Encyclopedia, edited by Ben Weinreb and Christopher Hibbert. It has an amazing amount of information not just about the places and buildings, but the customs and infrastructure of London (and Britain) through the centuries.

The other great resource, of course, is the internet. I started writing in pre-internet days, and the research was a lot harder then!

Finally, when’s your next book due out, and what’s it about?

The Marriage Spell will be out from Ballantine in hardcover in June. It’s another historical fantasy romance, but not a Guardian book. It’s Regency, not Georgian, and the world is one where magic is known and generally accepted except by the upper classes, who consider it terribly, terribly low-brow. (G) In July, the paperback edition of Stolen Magic will be out.

Ooh that sounds great!

Thanks so much for taking the time out to answer these very nosy questions!

Karen—If something doesn’t make sense, feel free to ask.

I will do thanks MJP!

Well that’s all for this week folks! Next week, author, Brenda Novak will be answering some burning questions!

Ciao for now!

Beware the effects of smoking too much crack

I want to know who proofed this cover, and thought it was a good idea to go with it.

I’m not even sure what the f*ck it is. Without reading the blurb, I guess he’s a vamp, but really… what the fuck was the cover artist thinking?

Erm… I’ll try to post Mary Jo Putney’s interview tomorrow, or when I have time to breathe anyway!

Finders Keepers – Sharon Sala

I’ve always loved Sharon Sala, but after reading this book, the scales have finally fallen from my eyes, and I’ve come to the conclusion that ‘The Way To Yesterday’ and ‘Sweetbaby’ have been papering over Sala’s writing cracks for years.

Here’s a brief synopsis:

Man is raising son on his own after mother deserts them both.
Woman moves in next to man and son, and son starts calling woman “mommy”
Dad falls in love with Woman, and vice versa.
Alas soon there is trouble in paradise when the dastardly bitch of a mother returns to try to manipulate the man.
She gets bitchslapped up and down the street by woman. (Ok so I’m lying about this part)
The Man and Woman live happily ever after.
The End.

I told you it was brief, so don’t get ya knickers in a twist!

Finders Keepers felt lazily written, as if all Sala was doing was fulfilling the word count. At no point did I connect to the characters in the book, come to think of it, I felt a disconnectedness between Sala and her own characters, that was gloriously absent in her earlier books.

As with Chance McCall, I felt as if she was trying to manipulate my emotions all the way through the book, and the thing is, I expect authors to try to make me cry, laugh etc, I just don’t expect to see through their various ploys.

I think a lot of people will probably enjoy this book, but unfortunately for me, it was way off the mark.

It Had To Be You, Susan E Phillips

Phoebe Somerville is a barbie doll look-alike blonde bombshell with a big heart who inherits her father’s football team, the Chicago Stars.
Years ago Phoebe and her father had a massive argument, which ended with her father disowning her. Now her father is dead and surprisingly enough, he leaves his football team to Phoebe, with the stipulation that she wont get her full inheritance unless the Stars win the AFC championship.

Phoebe is determined to prove that she’s more than just a pretty face, and so agrees to the terms of the will.

Meanwhile, Dan Calebrow is an ex-football star, who’s glittering career was ended prematurely due to an injury (erm… at least I think that’s what happened, I read this ages ago ya know!) He’s flabbergasted when he learns that this stunning, but dippy bit of eye candy is now in charge of the Stars football players.

They clash at every turn until eventually, they fall in love.

I liked this book. It was a nice uncomplicated read. The football references didn’t piss me off, but I guess it helps that I’m quite a sport-oriented person anyway.

The story flowed along nicely, and I felt like I was actually peeking into the lives of real people, with real issues. The dialogue was snappy and made sense, and at no point did I feel that the author was actually writing from the twilight zone.

It made me smile in parts, which is always a good thing. I preferred Phoebe’s character to Dan’s, purely because I felt that Dan was sometimes quite unnecessarily arsy. He was quite grumpy too, and there’s nothing I hate more than a whinging and bitching hero.

I recommend that this book be read in a meadow, with the breeze gently blowing through your hair, lying on a hammock, swinging gently from side to side, with the sun about to say goodnight to the sky… It really was that cute. *g*

Well I was going to review a few more books seeing as I’ve read so many recently, but fuck it, I’m tired and I can’t be arsed.

So I read Kristie’s, Dreaming of You, about a couple of week’s ago. I was so impressed with Lisa Kleypas’s writing that I went and bought up her entire backlist. Yes, I have a habit of judging writers by one book, this can sometimes be risky, but what the hell, it’s only money right? *g*

Sarah Fielding is a well-bred gal who was brought up by aging parents in a small village called Greenwood Corners. She has been seeing the same bloke for over four years, but they have yet to share more than a chaste kiss. Indeed, her betrothed doesn’t seem in any great hurry to marry her, a fact which was starting to piss Sarah off.

All his life, Derek Craven has worked hard to escape the abject poverty that he was born into. Abandoned by a slut-faced ho of a mother, Derek was brought up by local prostitutes until he was old enough to go out and work as a climbing boy, cleaning chimneys. Various morally questionable ways of making money, finally enabled him to open up what has now become London’s most exclusive gaming club, which in turn provided the means for his entry into London’s Rich List.

Sarah is a writer conducting research on the seedier side of London, when she witnesses some thugs giving Derek a good going over.
Being the saintly and brave maiden that she is, she goes to his aid, and ends up shooting and killing one of the men who set upon poor Derek.

Derek can scarcely believe that this virginal goody two shoes was the one to come to his rescue, and feels obligated to let her conduct her research within the confines of his gambling club.

DC is inexplicably attracted to Sarah, and he finds himself having all kinds of wild carnal thoughts about her.

Sarah, being the gently bred, prim and proper woman that she is, is also amazed to find that she wants to climb onto Derek’s well-used cod-piece, and have her wicked way with him, but alas she has a fiance already, so she tries to resist his charms.

As these two people get to know each other, sparks fly at every turn, and soon, Derek grows to recognise and appreciate the strength of character, and inner beauty that Sarah has.
Trusting a woman is unchartered territory for him, and it will take all of Sarah’s patience and understanding to win this rascal over.

My Verdict


Yes, Kristie, I really liked it. Really really liked it.

I definitely have a thing for bad boys, and Derek Craven was the quintessential badass. It also helped that I thought the heroine was pretty fab too. Even if she was a virgin. *g*

I really liked Kleypas’s voice. She was remarkably easy to read, and I loved her overall characterisation. There wasn’t a single superfluous character in the entire book, and I loved how much effort she put into her secondary character’s individual stories. I also like the fact that she’s not afraid to include raunchy love scenes in her book. I must admit, I was expecting lukewarm sex scenes that I would have to skip over, but guess what, I didn’t hate it, and gulped down every line like it was manna from heaven.

LK managed to keep my undivided attention all the way through the book, and with my life as hectic as it is at the moment, that’s no small feat.

Like I said, based on this book alone, I went and bought up most of her backlist. Yes, all the books were bought new, so Kriste, damn you, you did it again. I’d say that was two out of two, wouldn’t you?

BTW, I’ve read 9 of her books so far, and I have loved them all. Even the flawed ones. How mad is that?

I think even readers who usually pass on historicals will dig this one. It’s a definite keeper.

Dawn, I think you’ll like this one too. If you send me your address, I’ll even let you borrow it!

Oh and another thing, I’ve decided to overlook the fact that she’s pals with that sanctimonious Elizabeth Bevarly. I guess nobody’s perfect huh? Big sigh…

Kelly Carlson -Nip/Tuck

So I met her today in Manchester.

She was the VIP guest of a client of mine who’s organising a major fashion exhibition in Manchester tomorrow. She was nice actually. I didn’t mention Nip/Tuck to her because quite frankly I only watch it in case Julian McMahon’s butt cheeks show up during the show.

She had her mother with her, she was charming too, they totally look alike, apart from the different colour hair of course.

One thing I must mention though was the amount of make-up she was wearing, totally unneccessary I thought. Also, I thought her hair could have done with some hot oil treatment, but that aside, she was a doll.

Author Name: Suzanne Brockmann
Website: www.suzannebrockmann.com
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Latest book in shops now: The Admiral’s Bride (Reissue from Mira Books), and Hot Target (Ballantine Books).

Before we begin this interview, I need to check that you’re still grounded and that your head isn’t swollen from all of your success, so with that in mind, what was the last thing you bought at Target, and do you know how much a loaf of bread costs? (grin)

Okay, this is going to sound really silly, but the last thing I bought at Target were a set off doggy booties. Please believe me, this has nothing to do with being grounded (or not), but is/was an attempt to deal with a yuking Schnauzer.

See, we adopted a pair of eight-year-old Schnauzers from a shelter just about two years ago this month. Sugar and Spice. Their owner had died, and they needed to be placed together. We didn’t know it, but we needed a pair of elderly Schnauzers. LOL! (Well, we knew it when we met them…)

Sadly, Spice died from kidney failure last March. Sugar (now ten) has been holding her own — except she started with some mystery yuking this past winter. We suspected/hoped it had more to do with walking on salted roads and licking her feet after (salt = poison!) rather than kidney problems.

So, in an attempt to have her not be sick, I went to Target and purchased said booties. (Which were too small. We returned them. Stopped walking her in salted areas.) But I’d remembered seeing a huge selection of ridiculous dog items (rhinestone studded collars, etc) at Target, so I went there in hopes of finding canine footwear. I was not entirely disappointed.

Canine footwear? Lol!!

As for bread… Hmmm. I’m not a bread eater. And my husband has been doing the grocery shopping since about 1996. (I do the laundry.) Ask me about washing socks, why don’t you?

Ohhhh…. Are you telling me people actually wash socks? *g*

OK, let’s talk about your books.

Prince Joe was recommended to me by a couple of readers (Thanks Dawn/ Maili) as I’d never read any of your books before. Of course I read it, and I loved it. Where did the inspiration for this book come from?

I’m so glad you liked it — thank you so much for your kind words!

PJ was the first book I wrote with a SEAL hero, and really, the first book that caugth readers’ attention and put me on the romance map. (Thanks to a train carrying a shipment of books that went off the tracks and into a reservoir.

Water plus books equals sad readers. Long story short, my books were NOT on that train. My books were on the next train. Desperate, book-starved readers grabbed for it, and it hit the USA Today list — pretty miraculous for a category romance!) For years, I was convinced that the words “Author of PRINCE JOE” would be on my tombstone. LOL! Of course, I was fine with that — it was a book I was very proud of having written.

As for inspiration — I’ve always had huge respect for servicemen and women. I’m a WWII history buff from way back. The idea of writing about a team of SEALs really worked for me!

I usually hate prissy heroine’s, and Joe’s Veronica was as prissy as they come, but somehow, you still managed to get me to care about her, why do you think she appealed to so many readers despite her stiff upper lip-ness? (Yeah I know that’s not even a word).

I always try to create characters who are good and kind, but also flawed, imperfect people. Flawed and vulnerable — and I force them to face their vulnerabilities — which they do quite bravely despite self-doubt and fear.

My goal in every book is to create characters (like Veronica) that you-the-reader will want to spend some of your precious time with. I want you to care about them, to take this journey with them, to fall in love right alongside them.

Veronica’s far from perfect in many ways, but she touches Joe’s heart in a way that no one has before. My hope as a writer is that she’ll touch the readers’ hearts, too.

When you develop your characters, do you model them on people you know in your life, or do they all come from inside your head?

They’re totally imagined. But I really get to know them before I start to write. I pay attention to their beliefs and values (important things that make us all individuals), and I write extensive back stories — focusing quite a bit on their childhood. (Childhood is when many of our beliefs and values are formed.)

The key, I think, is in knowing my characters so well that they are always consistent and therefore believable in their reactions to any given action.

Do you ever get compared to other writers? If so, how does that make you feel?

It’s always nice to be compared to writers who are good storytellers. I think that’s the highest compliment!

I know you’ve probably been asked this question a million times, but why the obsession with SEALS?

Only the best of the best make it through the intense training and earn the right to call themselves SEALs. What is it that drives these men to do this? I’m fascinated by that refusal to quit, by the determination and drive.

One thing I enjoyed about Hot Target was your willingness to include a gay love triangle as the basis for the secondary romance, were you (or your editor) afraid that readers would be put off by this?

No fear. I knew, however, that I’d lose some readers — sad but true. So be it. But more importantly, I knew that I had the chance to touch other readers — to bring them out of their comfort zone and open their eyes a bit wider. I thought that was well worth it.

I’ve had such a tremendously positive response to Hot Target from the people who trusted me enough to join Jules on this leg of his journey. It’s been wonderful — all the positive email I’ve received.

Another thing that I particularly remember about Hot Target was the personal letter that you wrote to your readers. I felt that it was very brave of you to put so much of yourself out there. What were your motivations for doing this, and what kind of reaction did you get from your fans?

Here’s the deal: Coming out isn’t just for gay people. It’s for straight allies — for friends and family members of gay people, too. So when an acquaintance asks me if my son Jason has a girlfriend, I don’t sidestep the issue.

I say the words, “My son is gay.” I also try to show them how this isn’t any kind of an issue — that it shouldn’t be an issue. He’s a person just like they are. I say something like, “He’s started seeing this really nice young man. I had dinner with them both last week, as a matter of fact.”

And then I go on to talk about how well Jason is doing at school — he’s one of the best tap dancers at AMDA in NYC. I’m so proud of him and I love him so much — just like every other parent loves his or her child. (K: *wipes tear from eye*)

See, I don’t want my son to live in a world where — at best — people lower their voices to whisper the word “gay” and think they’re being tolerant. My son is gay — I’m happy to talk about him, shout about him, sing about him, write about him. Loudly.

And I really don’t want my son to live in a world where gay people are bashed and physically attacked.

It completely freaks me out that there are people who live in this world who would hurt or even kill Jason — just because he’s gay. Without even bothering to get to know him, without finding out that he’s smart and funny and talented and kind. That’s a problem for me. A big problem.

But before I load my shotgun (well, okay, I’d have to go buy one first, but probably not at Target) and prepare for a pre-emptive strike, I’m going to try to educate other people, to teach tolerance and understanding.

I’m trying to do my part through my books (it was not an accident that I created the character of Jules Cassidy!) as well as my day to day life.

I love how honest you are about your son, I hope your words make a huge difference to somebody out there…

Your books tend to deal with a lot of real life issues, e.g. multi-racial characters, inter-racial relationships, alternative lifestyles etc, is this deliberate on your part, or do you just write as your muse tells you to? *g*

I write about the world I live in, the world I see around me. It’s filled with all types of people — people who are all valuable no matter their age, appearance, beliefs…

I don’t believe that people can choose who they love. I don’t think love is convenient or tidy. In fact, it’s anything but. Differences in ages, in skin color, in religion — these mean nothing to the human heart.

Love brings us all down to the bottom line — we all have hearts that beat in our chest. We all long for a connection. It’s that simple. We’re so much more alike than we are different…

OK, you can relax a bit now, that’s the hard part over with. *g*

What were your favourite books as a child?

I was a big fan of ongoing series — the Earthsea books, Mr. Bass’s Planetoid series, the Hardy Boys. I also loved reading westerns. Louis L’Amour. Oh, and PJ Wodehouse, Donald Westlake, William Goldman (of course, I found their books in the adult library…)

What does a typical day as a writer consist of?

Getting out of bed and dragging one’s butt to the computer. Sitting there and getting the pages written. Usually while wearing PJs and having bedhead.

Name your top five favourite books of all time.

The Wedding Dress by Virginia Ellis
Libby’s London Merchant by Carla Kelly
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
Illusions by Richard Bach
the screenplay of Shakespeare in Love

Which authors are you glomming at the moment? (reading a lot of?)

Ah, come on. I know what glomming is! Lol!(K: Hey there were many an author who didn’t know what it meant!) I glommed Carla Kelly after I first “found” her. She’s probably my favorite author.

I’m actually not glomming anyone at the moment. Right now I’m reading Susan Carroll’s book THE COURTESEAN. Her “Bridefinder” trilogy was a big favorite of mine.

Do you have other close romance writer friends, and if so who are they?

My closest friends aren’t writers. In fact, I didn’t meet any other romance writers until after I was published. (I only found out about RWA from my first editor!)

When did you realise that you wanted to write books, and who or what inspired you?

I actually wanted to write screenplays, and saw a career as a published author as a jumping off place. I did a series of self-help tapes that a good friend gave to me. And it was actually a taped goal-setting workshop given by Tony Robbins that taught me to focus my creative energy.

How many times did you get rejected (if indeed you did) before you got published?

Many, many. I have a rejection file that’s about four inches thick. Rejection doesn’t end after you first get published, you know.

Ooh that’s interesting to know!

Just for reference, the first book I sold was the fourth romance I’d written. (I’ve got about five books that I wrote early in the, well, let’s call it the “learning process,” that have never been published.)

If you could have a one-to-one conversation with a famous historical figure, who would it be with and what would you talk about?

I think it would have to be Winston Churchill. His speeches played such an important part in the fight against Nazi Germany. I don’t agree with all of his politics, but I do believe that he was the right man to lead England at that time in history.

I’d love to ask him if he ever had any doubts about the outcome of the war — and how he found the strength to hang on when things seemed so bleak.

What is your ultimate goal when it comes to your writing?

To entertain my readers — while making them think.

How has the romance industry changed from when you first started writing, and which of these changes were you happiest/unhappiest with?

IMO, most of the changes reflect the economy of our country. People aren’t buying books right now — across the board.

I think, though, that the biggest non-financial change has been in the (relatively late to the game) realization of the publishers that the internet is a powerful advertising tool.

They’re also (FINALLY!) starting to catch on that, with the internet, the world is much smaller. They can no longer release a book in the UK (Harry Potter comes to mind) 4 or 6 months before the U.S. release, and not expect US readers to get their hands on a UK copy.

For years, US readers on my bulletin board “adopted” a reader from the UK or Europe, and bought them a copy of my latest book on the release date here in the States, mailing it to their “book buddy.” (Because the book wouldn’t be released in the UK until months later.) Now the release tends to be simultaneous. I’m happy about that!

Oh me too girl, me too!

A lot of well known authors who first wrote within the romance genre, seem to have moved away from traditional romance, and are now writing paranormals, suspense etc. (e.g. Linda Howard, Catherine Coulter) Why do you think this is?

I think that many writers have a need to grow and change. I know that I wouldn’t be happy writing the same book over and over and over again.

BUT, I also think that much of that is simply labels. The publisher can sell more of my books by putting “Fiction” on the spine instead of “Romance” or “Romantic Suspense.”

In your vast experience, what would you say was the most effective method of marketing a romance novel?

For me, it’s always been about my email newsletter. I’ve worked hard to build a list of what I call “dedicated readers.” I’ve got over 7000 email addresses on my DR list — many of these people are readers who emailed me early in my career. And I emailed them back! One on one contact is very important for a writer who is just starting out.

7001 now including mine *g*

Which of your books is dearest to your heart, and why?

Hot Target is important to me for many reasons. But Out of Control (Navy SEAL Chief Kenny Karmody’s story) is probably dearest to me, because it’s the last book that I wrote before 9/11.

Which of your books do you feel you’re better known for?

I think I’m best known for my Troubleshooters series, which started with The Unsung Hero and continues through to Breaking Point (the 9th book in the series, coming out in paperback in July 2006). (Book ten, by the way, Into The Storm, will be released in hardcover on August 15, 2006.)

FYI, the books in this series are:
The Unsung Hero
The Defiant Hero
Over The Edge
Out of Control
Into The Night
Gone Too Far
Flashpoint
Hot Target
Breaking Point
Into The Storm

I’ve always wondered about this, but as an author, once your books are published, do you actually go back and read them yourself, and if so, are you able to enjoy them, or do you perhaps see things that make you want to chew your own arm off in frustration? (grin).

I always read them in book form. For me, there’s nothing as satisfying as reading a book that has my name on the cover! (I’m a book nerd from way back! LOL!)

Me too… oh we have so much in common… *g*

And I’m quite at peace with the idea that each book is my personal best, with the understanding that my personal best was affected by all of the various things that were going on in my life when I was writing it.

How do you feel when inevitable comparisons are made between Prince Joe and your later works? Would you prefer your other Tall, Dark, and Dangerous books to be judged on their own merit?

I don’t have a problem with that. There’re always going to be comparisons, and there will always be readers who like my older books best. There will also always be readers who like my newer books best. I’m fine with that. I’m definitely not trying to please everyone all the time.

Has anything a reviewer or reader said or written about you changed the way you write?

I actually had a reader write to ask if I couldn’t manage to bring the heroines from the earlier books in the TDD series back into the books. (I usually used the heroes in SEAL action sequences.) But I thought about that, and came up with a story in which it really worked to bring back some of those female characters — Get Lucky.

This was a book where the entire SEAL team goes wheels up, except for Lt. Luke “Lucky” O’Donlon. He’s a total ladies’ man — he completely adores women, and to his horror, he realizes there’s a serial rapist targeting servicewomen and servicemen’s wives. It’s up to him to protect everyone — and to catch the bad guy. It’s a fun book — and it came from that reader’s suggestion!

How utterly fabulous!

Last year, RWA attempted to try to define romance, and it caused a bit of a furore round the blogosphere, due to the limitations of the definitions. What were your thoughts on this at the time, and do you think it’s possible/necessary to define romance in a way that doesn’t exclude other sub-genres?

Jeez, you know, I was on deadline at the time, so I don’t know much about the uproar. People are waaaay too into dividing life into “us” and “them” these days, aren’t they? Sheesh. (Is there something in the water???)

To me, a romance novel is a love story with a happy ending — period the end. I think trying to define and limit it is silly — romance is a huge genre with dozens of sub-genres. There’s something here for everyone. (I’m a fan of inclusion — and would even look for a way to include love stories that DON’T end happily in the genre!)

RWA should teach a workshop on sub-genre tolerance. I have to be honest, there are some sub-genres that I just do not enjoy. In fact, yes, I’ll say it. Some of those older 80s romance novels where the heroine is raped by the hero at the start of the book make me crazy.

I dislike the fact that despite being so dated, they are still being published, that people can pick them up and think these stories continue to define romance novels. Grrrr.

(I guess you’ve been reading Bertrice Small then… Just kidding of course! *g*)

BUT guess what? NEWSFLASH!!!!! I’m not the only person living in this world. There are people out there who (for whatever reason — I don’t get it, but okay) not just enjoy but actually love these books. So I try not to bash those books. I’ll make it very clear that those books DON’T WORK FOR ME, though.

Lol!!

When was the last time you went overseas and where did you go?

Wow, it’s been awhile, but I did just get my passport renewed. Last trip I took was to Mexico. Before that, it was Germany — I have relatives living in Bremerhaven.

Who are your favourite romance hero and heroine of all time?

Buffy and Angel.

Does BTVS count as a romance? *g*

Why do you think a lot of romance readers tend to judge the heroine a lot more harshly than the hero?

You know, it’s interesting. I’ve received email from readers who dislike my female characters and the reason they usually give is “I would never have done what she did when she XYZ.” Well, hello! She’s not you. She grew up differently, has different beliefs and values.

Meg Moore from The Defiant Hero. I get most negative comments about Meg. Ironically, she’s the one heroine who is most like me. A total control freak. LOL! Her daughter is kidnapped in this book, and I would have done EXACTLY what she did to get her daughter back. Go figure.

What kind of characters would you say you typically wrote?

Flawed, honest people with good hearts.

If only one person could read your book, who would that be? (as in the person who you would want most to read your book) Rosie’s Question

Wow. Good question. Am I allowed to say Oprah? Oprah.

You’re definitely allowed to say Oprah… as long as you’re not James Frey that is. (grin)

If you had to pick, who would you say has been most influential within the romance genre?

Without a doubt, Nora Roberts. She’s amazing.

What was the last movie you saw?

We just glommed the Oscar contenders, right before Oscar night. So the last one I saw was… Transamerica.

We saw everything except Munich. I was on deadline when that came out, and it was hard to find in theaters.

Name your top five favourite romantic films.

Brokeback Mountain
Casablanca
Shakespeare in Love
Notting Hill
American Dreamer

What was the last book you read, and did you enjoy it?

Actually, I just read John Hodgman’s THE AREAS OF MY EXPERTISE (non fiction, humor) and I enjoyed it tremendously. Dude is FUNNY.

Have you ever written a book that you didn’t particularly care for, and do you cringe if you see people picking it up to read it?

Nope. I’m proud of every book I’ve ever written.

What do you enjoy most about being a writer?

Spending quality time with my characters!

What do you least enjoy about being a writer?

Sometimes a book can be very hard to write. It’s kind of like hitting oneself with a sledgehammer, repeatedly. Ouch.

As you’ve been there, done it, and have the badge to prove it, what is the number one advice that would you give to aspiring writers out there?

Study all fiction. Particularly study and analyze books, movies and TV shows that are excellent, as well as those that are dreadful. Identify when the writer lost you as a reader or a viewer. Pay attention to what they did wrong (and, in the case of the great stuff, what they did right!).

Finally, when’s your next book due out, and what’s it about?

I’ve got a Mira Books reissue of The Admiral’s Bride, Tall, Dark & Dangerous book #7, out on March 28th. This book was given a rare 5 star review by RT BookClub Magazine. It features SEAL Admiral Jake Robinson and six missing canisters of a deadly chemical weapon.

The paperback release of Max & Gina’s story, Breaking Point, Troubleshooters book # 9, is coming out from Ballantine Books on July 25, 2006.

Into The Storm, TS book #10, will be out in hardcover from Ballantine on August 15, 2006. It features Navy SEAL Mark Jenkins and lots of harsh winter weather.

Last but not least, the long-awaited reissue of my Bantam book, Ladie’s Man, will be in bookstores on August 29, 2006. (First editions of this book are very hard to find, and have sold on the internet for well over $1000.)

They all sound ab fab!

Thanks so much for taking the time out to answer these very nosy questions!

You’re very welcome!

What a lovely lady!

Ok, that’s all folks, I’m sure you’ll all agree that she was well worth the wait! Next week we’ll have Mary Jo Putney answering some hard hitting questions about her ironing pile! *g*

Ciao for now!

Erm… yeah, I know I’m slacking. I’ll upload Suzanne Brockmann’s interview tomorrow in between running a business and trying to save the world.

Don’t worry, it’ll be totally worth the wait!

By the way, due to being spammed, I had to put the comments verifier thingy on again. Bastards. Kristie, how the hell do you cope?

Monica’s got an interesting column up on RTB this morning. She wants to know why fat authors don’t have more heroine’s who are fat too.

She writes:

“A perusal of more than a few romance author cover photos will tell you that plenty of fat chicks write romance. A stroll down the romance aisle of any Wal-Mart will show you that lots of fat chicks read romance. Drop into any romance convention and you’ll see fat chicks galore. Think all New York editors are starved-looking, gaunt creatures? I won’t name names, but think again.
So why the heck don’t we have more fat chicks as romance heroines?”

She has a point don’t you think?

I can honestly say that I really enjoy romance books that have heroines who aren’t reed thin. I think I like the idea that a really hot guy is able to find a fat chick sexy, and not in a fetish kind of way either.

Monica goes on to add:

“What about all the fat chicks? Go to the romance section, close your eyes, pick a book, any book. Open it. Is the heroine a fat chick? Rinse and repeat. Are any of the romance heroines honest-to-goodness fat chicks?

I bet you ten bucks that they aren’t. But fat chicks seem to have plenty of romance. Heaven knows nature doesn’t stint on those fat genes. Fat chicks are walking around with babies, arm in arm with men, obviously loving and making love.”

Once again, she makes perfect sense.

I know that I dissed Ryhannon Byrd for writing a sex scene that lasted for 200 pages, but one thing I did like about Triple Play was that the heroine was a rubenesque gal, and the heroes thought she was sexy as hell.

One thing I do hate is when the author makes the story all about the weight. It is possible to be fat and not be all angsty about it… isn’t it?

I don’t particularly want to read about the issues the heroine has about her weight, I can read chicklit for weight-based angst thanks very much.

I’m one of those readers who don’t like issues about weight or colour to get in the way of a good romance. I can’t be arsed working through self esteem issues, which is generally why I prefer my heroines to be kick-ass and confident.

Category romance books are definitely the worse offenders, all their cover models are skankily thin to reflect the heroines. When was the last time you read about the Billionaire Sheik’s Virgin’s Secret Baby being a fat chick? It just doesn’t happen that often.

I do recall reading a Harlequin book where the heroine was “large boned”, but the front cover was graced by an anorexic model who could have done with having a cornish pastie or ten.

I guess it’s all about marketing huh?

I read somewhere that books with big gals on the front of them don’t sell as well. Apparently this messes with the fantasy. Why?

I have to applaud EC because they along with certain other erotic romance publishers are one of the only places where you can go and find big heroines. As far as I can gather, these sell pretty well too. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

Monica’s question as to why can’t fat authors write more books about fat heroines is a valid one in my opinion. I see those back cover photo’s guys, I know that a lot of our beloved romance writers are hardly size 6 prototypes, yet their heroines are usually visually perfect, with flat, toned stomachs, and perfectly rounded breasts.

I don’t consider myself overly weighty, and I enjoy books where the heroine is on the large side (as long as she doesn’t bitch and moan about it anyway) so I always assume that most people would feel the same way as I do… Don’t they?

I truly wonder if my attitude would be different if I was fat myself?

So Monica asks these very pertinent questions:

“Do you want to read more books with fat heroines? Why or why not?

Do you think fat authors should be writing about fat people also, not just non-fat ones?

Do you think we avoid reading about fat people because so many of us are fat ourselves and don’t like it? Do you think it’s possible to be fat, healthy, happy and in love or is that unrealistic?”

So, waddaya all think? Does she have a point or what?

Will somebody remind me again about the evils of having a menage a threesome?

Is it wrong that I want to stab her in the eye and run off with her hubbie?

This one’s specially for you Shelby…*g*

I’ve come to the conclusion that that Crazy Bitch, Afroerotique, is a few pence short of a pound, and not only that, the people she attracts are of the same ilk, check out this little beauty (Thanks Eve*g*)

For some months now, I’ve been harassed by one of your employees. Scott has spent endless hours of company time, telling me of his desire to submit to black women.

I would appreciate it sincerely if you would take whatever measures to ensure that he does not contact me again. I’m concerned for my safety. Over the course of the last year, he’s contacted me with several different screen names, some male, and some female, all annoying and psychotic.

Scott is a pathological liar, first claiming that he was a real estate mogul and personal assistant and then owning a magazine. He’s conveyed countless tales of his forays into unprotected sex with transsexual prostitutes that he’s picked up in Miami and brought to his home.

He seems obsessed with deranged behaviors, not the least of which
means recreating himself as different people to stalk me.

I can’t take it anymore. I’m fully prepared to send complete
transcripts of our time stamped conversations where he outlines his
desire to be my boi slut, eat my shit, be suffocated to death at the
hands of a black dominatrix, and other ghastly and shocking things.

I would suggest that you look into his academic credentials and
contact your lawyers to make sure that his pathological lies don’t
put your company in danger.

Hmm… methinks that this is a letter that she wrote to the company that her current stalker works at…

Bless her little cotton socks it sounds like she’s having a hard time of it, but seriously, this guy wants to eat her faeces? I tell ya, sounds like a match made in heaven to me, two messed up people together… you couldn’t make this shit up I’m sure. (Hehe, see what I did there? What? It was funny dammit!)

Fuck knows why she posted something so personal to her Yahoo group…