Summer Devon/Kate Rothwell took time out of her busy schedule to share a little about herself.  Without waiting another moment let’s hear from Summer.

Describe your feelings when you signed your first book contract.
I was bouncing on the ceiling for days! I loved it. But then I got nervous because I sold on a partial. What if the editor hated the rest of the book? I stayed up most of the night worrying about that one.

Do you have a favorite book that you’ve written?
Not really. I like whatever I'm working on and hate whatever I've just finished--all part of the process. I guess I'm particularly fond of Somebody Wonderful because it was the first book I sold and it got great reviews. That's a Kate Rothwell book.

What about a favorite character?
Right now my favorite character is the hero in Revealing Skills, which I wrote as Summer Devon, and also the slightly neurotic heroine in a brand new book I just started last week--another Summer Devon book. I've gotten the most feedback about Mick, the hero of Somebody Wonderful.

What’s the hardest part about writing, to you? Is it the writing, editing or promotion?
Absolutely the promotion!  The editing and writing can be hard, but I've been doing them for years, so I know I can manage them. Promotion--I'm not particularly good at it. I was once a co-owner of a newspaper and the other two owners fired me from the job of selling ads because I was so rotten. Luckily my partners were great at generating ad revenue, and the paper did well. Eventually I sold my share and moved from Maryland. I live in
Connecticut now.

Are you a pantser, or a planner?
I'm mostly a pantser, but I do have a mental plan. Usually. When I don't, I have to take a walk.  I find writing under two names works really well for me. When a Kate Rothwell book is not going smoothly, I can switch over to a Summer Devon story. When both stall out, I get the dog's leash and head out again. Lately I've clocked a couple of miles a day and Soozie the dog is losing her paunch.

Who do you credit with encouraging you the most in your writing career?
Linda Ingmanson has been a great help. She's been my crit partner for a while. My husband is wonderful and his encouragement takes the form of paying most of the bills!

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
While you're waiting for answers from editors or agents, get to work on your next book. Write the best book you can, but don't put all of your heart into just one book. Oh, and don't listen to people (like me) who think they know what you should do with yourself. For instance, many people have told me to only work on one book at a time, but I simply can't. I stall out when I try. The only time in my life I've gotten writer's block was when I forced myself to concentrate only on one project and nothing else. I think that's left over from my stint as a feature writer for magazines and newspapers when I'd work on at least three articles at a time.

Who are some of your favorite authors?
I have so many! Again it depends on my mood. How long a list can I send? Linda's work is great (she writes as Linda Gayle). Judith Ivory, Teresa Bodwell, Laura Kinsale, Bonnie Dee, Carolyn Jewel, Megan Frampton, Michelle Pillow, Edith Layton, Flo Fitzpatrick (she just got a new contract with Cerridwen), Alexis Fleming, Bobbie Cole/Lyn Cash, Linda Winfree. . . hey look, it's all women! Okay some men--Christopher Moore, Terry Pratchett and PG Wodehouse just now. I'm in the mood for funny, quirky stuff.

What books do you have upcoming?
Right now everything is out! Revealing Skills is my latest release from Samhain and I'm in a new EC/Pocket anthology with Michelle Pillow and Kimberly Dean, called Taming Him. I do have a lot of manuscripts on editors' desks and I jump every time the phone rings and I check my email way too often. Well, okay, I do that anyway.

Tell us about you, your life and your hobbies.
I'm married to a microbiology professor and we have three kids, all boys. The boys take up so much time and effort (and are so much fun) that there isn't a lot of energy left over. I also work with refugees from war-torn countries. I have helped them learn basic English and adjust to this country. I've had that job for almost ten years.

Anything else you would like us to know?
I have a blog at http://katerothwell.blogspot.com

And my two websites that rarely change (because I keep forgetting how to mess with html) http://www.katerothwell.com and http://www.summerdevon.com