An Interview with Romance Author Maureen Child
August 2, 2017 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . . tagged as Harlequin, humor, Maureen Child, romance
Bestselling writer Maureen Child is a native Southern Californian now living in the mountains of Utah. She’s the award-winning writer of more than 150 books and novellas. A seven time finalist for the RITA, Maureen’s books have won the Golden Quill, the Prism and the National Reader’s Choice Award.
One of her books, A POCKETFUL OF PARADISE was made into a CBS-TV movie called THE SOUL COLLECTOR.
And as much as she loves Utah, she really misses her friends and the monthly meetings at OCC. For more information about Maureen and her novels please visit her on her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/maureenchild/
Jann: Today, I have the pleasure to welcome Romance Author, Maureen Child, to A Slice of Orange—and OCC misses her as well.
Do you find yourself returning to certain themes in your stories? What? Why?
Maureen: I don’t know if it’s a ‘theme’ or not, but I do find myself always returning to humor. Even in my darker books—examples, the books I wrote for Harlequin Nocturne or the Witch books I wrote for NAL. As dark as those themes were, humor kept encroaching on the story.
I think it’s because I do believe that everyone needs laughter as much as love. And maybe in those dark moments when writing, I need the light-heartedness as much as my reader might!
Jann: What’s the best writing advice you ever received?
Maureen: Actually the very best advice was something I heard at an OCC meeting about 24 years ago! Susan Phillips was giving a workshop and while she had a lot of great information that day, one phrase stuck with me.
“There is no substitute for persistence.” That sort of became my mantra. Because at the heart of it, that’s all that matters. Persistence. The determination to never quit, never walk away. To keep trying no matter what, to reach the goal you’ve set for yourself.
I still hear a lot of people say, “Oh, I’ll write a book someday.” Those people never will. To be a success at something, you have to love it and you have to put the time in and you have to never stop trying.
Jann: Have you ever suffered writer’s block? If so, how did/do you get past it?
Maureen: Actually, I don’t believe in Writer’s Block. Are there times when the well is dry? Sure. Are there days when I just don’t think I can write a word? Absolutely. Heck, there are times I want to take a hammer to my laptop!
But you write anyway. Even if you end up deleting it all the following day, you write. Because that’s what we are. That’s what I am. Writing is a job. It’s a great job, but it’s still a job. The hardest part for me is the self-discipline and I’m still struggling with it after more than 150 books!
But I have responsibilities. Deadlines. When you sign a contract you make a promise to deliver that book. And before you have a deadline with a publisher, give yourself one and stick to it. Do your pages every day even if they suck. You can always fix them later. Having ‘writer’s block’ is not an excuse for not working. I do understand that some writers can’t work past the bad days and it’s a personal thing, true. But not going to work because you don’t feel your best is just not the route I’ve ever gone.
Always remember that writing is your job and treat it like that.
Jann: What’s the best thing about being an author?
Maureen: For me, the best thing about being a writer is that I can do it by myself in my house. Wow that really sounds unsociable. But you know, most of the writers I know ARE. J We’re drawn to words. We’re drawn to people watching, studying the way strangers move and interact so we can go home and describe it. We watch a sunset and put together words in our minds to paint a vivid picture.
So in the morning when I get my coffee and go sit on my couch with my laptop, I’m officially in my ‘office’. I actually have an office that houses collections of awards and certificates and whatnot, but never sees ME. J When it’s nice out, I take the laptop to the deck and write out there. I don’t have to play well with others in my job, because I am my job. It’s perfect. Even the bad days.
Jann: What sound or noise do you love?
Maureen: I love the sound of babies laughing. That deep down from the belly laughter that just bubbles up into the air and reminds you that life should be fun.
Jann: What sound or noise do you hate?
I hate sirens. They mean that someone’s in trouble, or needs help and I worry about them. J
It was great getting to catch up with you Maureen and wish to thank her for taking the time to answer our questions. If you have any questions or comments for Maureen, please use the comment form below.
Jann Ryan
Jann Ryan grew up with the smell of orange blossoms in Orange County in sunny Southern California, where she has lived her entire life and dreamed up stories since she was a young girl. Never an avid reader, she was in her thirties when she picked up her first romance quite by accident. She fell in love with happily ever after and has been reading romances ever since.
Wanting to put pen to paper, Jann joined of Romance Writers of America®. Currently, she is working on a romantic suspense series set in Stellar Bay, a fictitious town along the California central coast to fulfill her publishing dream.
Q & A with Kate Carlisle, Mystery Author
July 2, 2017 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . .
Kate Carlisle is the bestselling author of the Bibliophile Mysteries and the Fixer-Upper Mysteries (as seen on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries). Her latest Bibliophile Mystery—Once upon a Spine—is a must-read for mystery readers who love books about books. RT Book Reviews calls Once upon a Spine “Truly laugh-out-loud hysterical… a great tale of who didn’t do it!” Read Chapters 1 and 2 free at KateCarlisle.com.
Jann: We’re here today with the marvelous Mystery Author, Kate Carlisle. Welcome Kate to A Slice of Orange. Let’s get started.
What is it like having your Fixer-Upper Mysteries made into a movie series by Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. What’s the coolest part of the process?
Kate: It’s been a marvelous experience, right from the first. Hallmark Movies & Mysteries has done me proud, starting with great scripts, wonderful casting, and terrific production value. The quality of their movies is truly superb.
Prior to this, I knew Jewel only as a singer, but I’m not surprised that she’s a terrific actress, as well. Both require her to tap into her emotions and to elicit emotions in the viewer/listener. And Colin Ferguson is adorable and sexy in the role of Mac. I couldn’t be happier.
The coolest part of the process is seeing scenes that originated in my head—mere ideas—come to life on screen. There are changes, of course, because film is a different medium than writing, and there are different limitations, but the essence of the stories is something that I came up with, starting with nothing more than a passing thought that took hold.
Visiting the set and having a cameo with my husband was also pretty darn cool.
Jann: Have you changed the way you write the books based on the movies?
Kate: I try not to let the movies affect my writing process. The movies are being made because readers loved my books, so I try to be true to the type of stories I was already telling.
The reality is, filmmakers can’t do everything I can. I’m limited only by my imagination. They’re limited by things like budget, available actors, the physical realities of getting a camera crew down a cliff face (just for example). But if I try to fence myself in to what could be easily filmed, then my stories may fall flat.
Jann: How do you juggle writing two mystery series—Bibliophile Mysteries, with lead character Brooklyn Wainwright and Fixer-Upper Mysteries, with lead character Shannon Hammer?
Kate: In my mind, Brooklyn and Shannon are very different characters, so that makes it easier for me to switch back and forth between the series. It’s really no harder than watching two different television series. My brain is usually ready to switch gears when it’s time to start a new book, so I actually enjoy the juggling act. Time management, on the other hand, will always be a challenge!
Jann: Do you plan to stick with cozy/traditional mysteries or do you have any romances planned in the future? How about a suspense or thriller?
Kate: I plan to stick with traditional mysteries, in the vein of Agatha Christie, for the foreseeable future. It’s what I love to write, and what my readers love to read. I admit I do have an idea for a romantic suspense tucked inside the back of my brain, but right now, the mysteries keep me very busy—and very happy.
Jann: I love your website—it’s so interactive. What can you tell about its creation?
Kate: My very talented web designer, Maddee at xuni.com, gets all the credit for the design. She does involve authors in the process a lot, to make sure that the website accurately reflects a client’s vision and vibe, but the design work is hers.
As for the interactive part, thank you so much for mentioning that! I wanted to think of creative ways to reward members of my mailing list, so I created the Secret Room. A mailing list member’s email address is the key to enter. In the Secret Room, I host contests, and have lots of puzzles and games. Word searches for every Bibliophile Mystery, book cover puzzles where you find changes or find the hidden object, and lots of other goodies. There are also recipes, maps of my fictional towns, a bookmark offer, a paper pattern and a quilt pattern, and pictures that inspired some of my books. It’s free to join.
Jann: When did you decide that you wanted to be a writer?
Kate: In my life, I’ve had many careers. (Though truthfully, some of them were just jobs and nowhere near as lofty as a career.) I loved my life at every point, but never really felt that “click” that told me I was doing what I was meant to do. I always felt a little restless. Not dissatisfied, really, but never completely satisfied, either. After working for a time as a legal secretary, I decided that maybe I should go to law school. It was there that I began to daydream about various ways to murder a slightly sadistic professor, and then to write down these dark fantasies. That’s when I caught the writing bug.
Click.
I wrote both romance and mystery, the two genres I most loved to read. After many (many, many) rejections, I managed to sell in both genres. I was first published in July 2009, and by December of that year, I had three books out. When the mysteries took off, I had to let the romance go, and now I have the pleasure of writing two ongoing mystery series. Pinch me! I still can’t believe how lucky I am.
Jann: I read that you like to watch other people cook. When you find yourself in the kitchen, what’s your favorite recipe to prepare?
Kate: Takeout.
Kidding! (Not really kidding.)
Jann: You like to travel. Do you have a favorite location that you find yourself going back to? Do you have a bucket list of future destinations?
Kate: One of my favorite cities in the world is Edinburgh. It’s been quite a while since I’ve visited, and yes, I’d love to go back. I also frequently visit San Francisco, home to the Bibliophile Mysteries.
There are so many places on my bucket list! I’d love to spend a month touring every museum in Paris. I’d love to take a pasta tour of Italy. Oh, and to go on a literary tour of England would be amazing. For that matter, a literary tour of America would be very interesting, don’t you think?
Jann: You were one of the hardest working unpublished writers’ way back in the day, how did you keep going before you sold your first novel?
Kate: It wasn’t easy to keep going in the face of rejection. There were many times when I thought of giving up. But then I would remember all the other jobs I’d tried. As frustrating and as painful as writing could be, there was still nothing else I’d rather do.
So I would let myself mope for an hour or two, and then I would get back to work. Because through all those years of ups and downs I kept thinking, a published book is the best revenge. I was a determined little engine. I continued to tell myself that a book doesn’t write itself. You have to be there, butt in the chair, to make it happen. And finally it did.
I would like to thank Kate Carlisle for taking the time to answer our questions. If you have any questions or comments for Kate, please use the comment form below.
Jann Ryan
Jann Ryan grew up with the smell of orange blossoms in Orange County in sunny Southern California, where she has lived her entire life
and dreamed up stories since she was a young girl. Never an avid reader, she was in her thirties when she picked up her first romance quite by accident. She fell in love with happily ever after and has been reading romances ever since.
Wanting to put pen to paper, Jann joined Romance Writers of America. Currently, she is working on a romantic suspense series set in Stellar Bay, a fictitious town along the California central coast to fulfill her publishing dream.
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An Interview with Author and RWA® 2017 PRO Mentor of the Year Maggie Marr
June 2, 2017 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . . tagged as 2017 RWA PRO Mentor, Jann Ryan, Maggie Marr
We’re here today with Maggie Marr—a woman who wears many hats. A woman who is also the 2017 Romance Writers of America® PRO Mentor of the Year. She will be honored during the PRO Retreat at the RWA® National Conference to be held in Orlando, Florida this July.
Maggie Marr is the author of twenty-plus books including the best-selling Hollywood Girls Club series. She is the past president of Los Angeles Romance Authors (LARA) and legal advisor to WFWA. When she isn’t writing, reading, practicing law, or chasing her kids, you can find her binge watching her favorite shows. For more information about Maggie and her novels please visit her website-www.maggiemarr.net or follow her on social media, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads.
Jann: Maggie, welcome to A Slice of Orange. Why be a mentor?
Maggie: There are so many reasons and first among them, for me, is that mentoring is fun. I love writing and I love writers (my tribe!) and being helpful to other writers gives me so much joy and fulfillment. Plus, I’m an introvert by nature, so mentoring allows me to build a relationship based on a mutual love for writing, which really takes the pressure off my introvert-nature.
Jann: Tell us about the mentor programs at LARA that you are involved with.
Maggie: LARA has great programs and many of them offer authors the opportunity to reach back and help. First among them is the mentor-mentee program which matches published authors with newer writers so that writers can utilize their mentors as a resource. We also have book-in-year, 20k in 2 weeks, published author chat, the write-in, and the LARA anthology. Each program intends to help make writing a well-formed habit.
Jann: Do you have any writing rituals? Schedule?
Maggie: I prefer to write first thing. When I accomplish my writing-goal for the day I feel good because I can check that off my list for the day.
Jann: What kind of writer are you? A page a day or a burst writer?
Maggie: My goal is to write every day, but I don’t always achieve that goal. When I’m in my first draft I try for 3 thousand words a day. Lately when I revise I dedicate 2 hours a day because that’s what my schedule allows
Jann: Do you ever run out of ideas? If so, how did you get past that?
Maggie: I don’t run out of ideas, because there are couples lined up in my head, like airplanes on a tarmac waiting for take off, simply waiting for me to look at them and say, ‘you’re up tell me your story.’ What I do struggle with is scene location. I’m on book 25 and I don’t want the location of my scenes to feel tired or over-used so I’m constantly trying to think of new and unusual places to set scenes.
Jann: What’s the best writing advice you ever received?
Maggie: Never quit, never give up. Also, with every book try to write a better book than the one you just finished writing.
Jann: Author Maria Powers says: “Maggie Marr is a mentor, an inspiration, a motivator and a friend. She lives her belief that success for one is success for all, and her determination and tenacity always bring me back to the knowledge that I can do this. I am a better writer for having Maggie in my corner, but more importantly, I am a better person for having Maggie in my life.”
Thank you Maggie Marr for taking the time to be with us today to answer our questions. If you have comments or questions for Maggie, please use the comment form below.
Jann Ryan
Jann Ryan grew up with the smell of orange blossoms in Orange County in sunny Southern California, where she has lived her entire life and dreamed up stories since she was a young girl. Never an avid reader, she was in her thirties when she picked up her first romance quite by accident. She fell in love with happily ever after and has been reading romances ever since.
Wanting to put pen to paper, Jann joined of Romance Writers of America®. Currently, she is working on a romantic suspense series set in Stellar Bay, a fictitious town along the California central coast to fulfill her publishing dream.
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An Interview with Author and 2017 Rita® Finalist Beth Yarnall
May 2, 2017 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . . tagged as Beth Yarnall, Daphne du Maurier winner, Jann Ryan, Rita Fianlist
I’m so excited to interview Daphne du Maurier winner and Rita® finalist, Beth Yarnall, on A Slice of Orange today. She writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and the occasional hilarious tweet. A storyteller since her playground days, Beth remembers her friends asking her to make up stories of how the person ‘died’ in the slumber party game Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board, so it’s little wonder she prefers writing stories in which people meet unfortunate ends. In middle school she discovered romance novels, which inspired her to write a spoof of soap operas for the school’s newspaper. She hasn’t stopped writing since.
For a number of years, Beth made her living as a hairstylist and makeup artist and even owned a salon. Somehow hairstylists and salons seem to find their way into her stories. Beth lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their rescue dog where she is hard at work on her next novel. For more information about Beth and her novels please visit her website- www.bethyarnall.com.
Jann: Welcome Beth to A Slice of Orange. What was it like to receive “The Call” that Atone is a Rita Finalist for Romantic Suspense?
Beth: Well, first of all I missed The Call. Then I missed the second The Call. I totally forgot it was Rita®/Golden Heart day and slept in. When my phone rang I looked at the display and thought ‘I don’t know anybody in Louisiana.’ It was Farrah Rachon calling me to let me know I was a finalist. Poor thing had to leave me a message. So The Call was really a Call Back. Talk about a duh moment!
I almost couldn’t believe it was real. I really didn’t think this book had a shot because it’s first person present tense and most romantic suspense books are third person past tense. When I was writing it nearly every scene scared me so I knew I was writing something that was deeply emotional that ‘went there’. I’m honored to be included in the amazing list of authors in my category.
Jann: Where did your idea for the Recovered Innocence series come from and what are your plans for the series?
Beth: The idea came with the first line of the first book, Vindicate. That line is—I got my driver’s license on my sixteenth birthday so I could visit my brother in prison.
I often get ideas for a book in the first line and I knew there was a whole book in that sentence and, eventually, a whole series. I plan on writing more books in the series. The idea for the fourth book in the series has been floating around in my head since I first started writing the series. I’m trying to work it into my writing calendar.
Jann: Have you found your dress and shoes for the Rita® ceremony yet?
Beth: I did find a dress. I actually bought two online because I couldn’t decide. After trying them both on I know which one I’ll be keeping and wearing Rita night. You’re going to think I’m weird because I’m more concerned about the jewelry I’ll wear with the dress than the shoes. That’s still up in the air as are the shoes. But hey, the hard part is over. I have a dress!
Jann: Let’s talk about writing. Are there any words of inspiration on your computer, in your office or in your mind when you write?
Beth: Hoe your own row. It’s my mantra. Hoeing is head down, back to your goal work. If you’re doing it right you can’t see how far you’ve come or how far you have yet to go, but most importantly you can’t see how far ahead or behind others around you are. I just try to keep my head down and work and not get distracted by how much better another author’s career is going or how far behind I am from X or Y author. I try to keep my focus on my goals and work steadily toward them.
Jann: What’s the best writing advice you ever received?
Beth: BICHOK=butt in chair hands on keyboard. There’s really no magic formula. There’s only getting words on the page.
Jann: Do you listen to music when you write?
Beth: Yes. I have a writing playlist I listen to through noise cancelling headphones. Sometimes I’ll create a playlist for certain scenes. If I want a lot of angst I have a punk rock playlist. If I’m trying to get into a love scene I have a playlist of very sexy songs. But mostly I write to the main writing playlist.
Jann: Do you ever run out of ideas? If so, how did you get past that?
Beth: Oh my gosh no. I have too many ideas and not enough time to write them all simultaneously. If it weren’t for deadlines and my inborn stubbornness I’d jump from one shiny new idea to another and never finish a book. I have being a Taurus to thank for making me stubborn enough to not let a book defeat me.
Jann: What are you currently working on and when can we read it?
Beth: I’m working on the first book in a new romantic suspense series. The series is about a rag-tag bunch of 
ex-spies and Special Forces folk who do mercenary work for hire. The first book, Far From Honest (on preorder now), is about a burned ex-spy who has to convince the reporter who broke the story that got him burned and his best friend killed to give him the name of her source. She doesn’t know what her story did to him and he doesn’t know how she ended up in the small town The Gods of Redemption call home. They spend the whole book lying to each other and trying to keep their hands off each other. There’s lots of chemistry and the lies they tell only ramp up their sexual attraction. It’s been lots of fun to write and is scheduled to tentatively release in January of 2018, but my publisher is looking to move that date up.
Jann: Where can we get your books?
Beth: Anywhere you buy books. All of my books are widely available.
Jann: Do you have a website, blog, twitter where fans might read more about you and your books?
Beth: The best place to find out what I’m up to is my website—www.bethyarnall.com.
I’m also on Twitter—@BethYarnall
Facebook— https://www.facebook.com/BethYarnallAuthor/
Pinterest— https://www.pinterest.com/bethyarnall/
Instagram— https://www.instagram.com/bethyarnall/
Goodreads— https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6431701.Beth_Yarnall
I would like to thank Beth Yarnall for taking the time to tell us about receiving The Call and her writing. If you have comments or questions for Beth, please use the comment form below.
Jann Ryan
Jann Ryan grew up with the smell of orange blossoms in Orange County in sunny Southern California, where she has lived her entire life and dreamed up stories since she was a young girl. Never an avid reader, she was in her thirties when she picked up her first romance quite by accident. She fell in love with happily ever after and has been reading romances ever since.
Wanting to put pen to paper, Jann joined of Romance Writers of America®. Currently, she is working on a romantic suspense series set in Stellar Bay, a fictitious town along the California central coast to fulfill her publishing dream.
3 0 Read moreOh, Internet! Wherefore art thou!
September 2, 2014 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . . tagged as Jann Audiss, Jann Ryan, The Cable Guy
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