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What is your
perfect writing atmosphere?
I love writing in my office when it’s quiet in the house. I
enjoy days that are either very sunny or there’s a gentle
rain. I like knowing I have plenty of time in front of me
and have the perfect music for the scene I’m working on.
That said…those days don’t happen too often, so I’ve learned
to write in a variety of environments.
Would you call
yourself a "pantser" or a "plotter"?
Definitely a plotter. I NEVER write anything before I have
the book completely plotted. In fact, I have a methodology
I’ve used for years: storyboarding. I’m so sold on it that I
teach a storyboarding class online once or twice a year. The
system has been invaluable to me, and I’ve had other writers
tell me that I’ve changed the way they write for the better,
which makes me smile.
What leads you
to the characters write about and all the different
sub-genres?
Characters appear in my head and start talking frequently.
They tell me who they are, what their problem is, what they
want, where they come from. The often come with a name as
well. If not, as I start writing the character, they
frequently cooperate and tell me what I want to know.
Because I’m into people-watching, I tend to focus in on
characters. I find characterization one of the easiest, most
fun parts of writing. In fact, I often say that writing is
one of the few occupations you can have and admit to hearing
the voices in your head and not have the nice folks in white
coats take you away.
Where were you
when you got your first contract? Who did you tell first?
I got “the call” when I was at my day job. I’d just broken
from a meeting and got a call on my cell phone. I was very
excited, naturally. I was torn between calling my husband
and calling the members of the critique group I had at that
time. My husband took the decision from me as he happened to
call just then.
What character
or couple would you love to bring to life, if you could &
why?
That I’ve written? I’d love to meet a few of the couples
I’ve created: Rafe and Kerry from BOUND AND DETERMINED, Jack
and Morgan from WICKED TIES, and Ice and Sabelle from my
upcoming Doomsday Brethren novel, POSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT.
I’d love to meet them all because these are characters I
could have kept writing about and been happy. I also want to
see their interaction at work. If it’s anything like what’s
in my head, it would be fascinating. I’d also love to meet
Mark from STRIP SEARCH because he’s just hot to me. And Luc
from DECADENT and the upcoming book DELICIOUS. I wanna
understand what’s in that man’s mind…
What are some
of your favorite things in life?
Mexican food, time with my family, a good book, Guitar
Hero, traveling, warm days, wireless Internet, music,
hearing my cat purr. I’m sure there are more, but those are
definitely some of the best.
If I followed
you for a day, what would I see or experience?
Chaos! Every day, there’s something going in at my house.
I’m juggling a lot between wife, mom, laundress, writer (of
course). I’m often trying to sneak in computer time in front
of TV (like now), answer emails while cooking. I’m reading
my Blackberry at stop lights (I know, I know…don’t honk). I
wash my face on speaker phone. It’s not uncommon that I turn
on my computer as soon as I roll out of bed. There are books
stacked all around the house…and I pick them up when I try
to grab a free minute here or there. Very little set
schedule other than, when family leaves in the morning, I
get to work and see where the day leads me. I may stop
writing at 3pm or midnight. Just depends.
Does music
influence your writing? If so, do you do sound tracks for
your books?
Absolutely! I’m very audio driven. The right music will put
me in the perfect mood to write and open my mind to
possibilities for a given scene that I might not have
otherwise thought of. I love nearly all kinds of music, and
my husband has called me musically schizophrenic. For
historical and some paranormal pieces, I’ve written to
classical and new age. For contemporaries and erotics, I
write to contemporary music, especially alternative rock.
Lots of Hinder, Seether, Goo Goo Dolls, Lifehouse, Three
Days Grace, etc. in my playlist.
Some authors
say they are open to bribes to drop hints – if you would be,
what type of bribe would it be? (not saying that you are or
anything)
Honesty, I think. If someone asks my opinion, I assume they
want honesty. I want the same in return. Though homemade
chocolate chip cookies run a close second.
What does the
word "Romance" mean to you?
Romance…it’s easy to talk about the long walks on the beach,
candlelit dinners and flowers. And those are romantic. But
there are a lot of ways to be romantic. Last year, my
husband went to New York on business, and I accompanied him.
One day, I had lunch with my agent. While we were eating, he
went to Macy’s to get me a coat because it was colder than
expected. He was waiting for me in the park across the
street from the restaurant when I emerged…but I didn’t see
him. My agent put me in a taxi and sent me back to my hotel,
where I thought my hubby would be. Instead, he wanted to
wait for me and talk to me. And I left him standing in the
park in the cold, carrying my new coat. When I called him
halfway back to the hotel and realized he was still in the
park, I felt terrible. Thankfully, he just laughed. But his
support meant the world to me, and for me that’s the best
sort of romance of all.
What do you
currently have in the wings and what is just around the
corner?
I have been SUPER busy lately. In March, I have the release
of BOUND AND DETERMINED as Shayla Black and A PERFECT MATCH
as Shelley Bradley. On September 29, Doomsday Brethren 2,
SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW, will be released. Book 3, POSSESS ME AT
MIDNIGHT, releases October 27. Look for a summer surprise
about the Doomsday Brethren in eBook. I will also begin
working in a few short weeks on the follow up to DECADENT.
It’s all about Luc, and DELICIOUS will release March
2010. There’s more beyond that. Stay tuned…
How can a
reader contact you and/or find out what you are doing?
Readers can visit my sites:
www.shaylablack.com
www.shelleybradley.com
www.doomsdaybrethren.com
Join my fun, free newsletter for the all the latest and
greatest in one convenient email. Read my blog for more
up-to-the-minute detail…and the occasional contest. I like
giving books away.
Anything else
you would like to tell the readers?
I think readers are incredibly special people and I’m so
thrilled to share an instant passion with people everywhere.
I’m not much of a TV watcher (though I confess a weakness
for HGTV), but I know that when I meet a stranger, once they
tell me they’re a reader, we have something in common
immediately.
For my readers, thank you so much for your encouragement and
support. |
