Monday, May 11, 2020

Welcome Charlotte O’Shay to our garden interviews

Hello Charlotte


Do you have trouble saying goodbye to your characters?

Do I ever. All of my characters still live inside me. (Maybe that accounts for the extra 15 lbs.?) In my mind, I know exactly what they’re up to months and years after I write THE END. Trouble saying goodbye is what led me to writing series. My readers and I can visit them in later stories and catch up. I have an upcoming Deerbourne Inn novella which picks up where the first romance FOREVER IN A MOMENT left off. The heroine in HOME IN YOUR ARMS was a secondary character in the first story. Some readers asked me if she would get her own happily ever after and now she will.

How do you get to know your characters better?

When a character first pops into my head I may only know one tidbit about them. Often times I see them in a moment of stress. Their crisis forms a picture or a video in my mind. I look at the picture, dissect it and try to figure out how they got into that predicament. What happened, what choices did they make to reach that point? So far my heroines have been fired, blackmailed, cheated on, left at the altar, lost a first love to tragedy, assaulted, had war(s) separate them from loved ones. I dig deeper into the crisis and I start filling in the blanks. I often write a bio or “interview” my characters. That really helpful to me. Most of the biographical info doesn’t make it onto the page but I believe it enriches the story in subtle ways.

Have you ever cried while writing?

Yes, I cried while writing the last chapters of FOREVER IN A MOMENT and A MODEL ENGAGEMENT. I still do when I reread them.

Do you have anything specific you want to say to your readers with your writing?

I want my readers to know we all deserve a happily ever after but in romance as in life, it’s never easy. But it’s always worth it. I want my readers to escape the routine annoyances of their daily lives when they sink into the pages of my romances. I hope my stories entertain and make them feel good.

How much influence do you have on cover art?

Some input. I’d like complete veto ability. I’m getting better at expressing my cover art ideas. My covers have been hits and misses so far.

Favorite Quote/s

~You are never given a wish, without also being given the power to make it come true. You will have to work for it, however. (Richard Bach)
~Never, never, never give up. (Winston Churchill)

Are you jealous of other authors?

I wouldn’t say jealous but there are some mega-talented authors out there and sometimes I wish I had a tiny, smidge of their ability. However, I know they work hard for their success so I try to learn from the greats and work harder. Successful, talented authors are rare and they inspire me to keep learning. (See above quote.)

Have you found true love?

My parents and my husband and my kids. Not perfect love (and where’s the fun in that anyway?) but true, unconditional love. I believe you should spend as much effort and time on relationships as you do on paid work and I try to do that. I also believe it may be difficult but I’ve learned to recognize and avoid toxic people. Life is too short.

Do you have any hobbies?

I’m really into tag sales and refinishing furniture. I love the idea of recycling and re-using. I adore HGTV and I reward myself with time watching my favorite shows when I’m not writing/editing/marketing.

If you came with a warning label, what would it say?
Caution: Do not approach when writing unless offering ice water, coffee or wine. Keep healthy with dark chocolate, walks on the beach and lots of hugs.


About Charlotte O’Shay

Author Charlotte O’Shay was born in New York City into big family and then married into another big family.

Negotiating skills honed at the dinner table led her to a career in the law.

But after four beautiful children joined the crowded family tree, Charlotte traded her legal career to write about happily ever afters in the City of Dreams.

Charlotte loves to challenge her heroines and heroes with a crisis and watch them figure out who they are while they fall in love.
  
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Download the City of Dreams books on Amazon and other online retailers
https://www.amazon.com/City-Dreams-3-Book/dp/B07QSC4LZC



2 comments:

Micki Miller said...

Raw honesty. I love it.

Donna Simonetta said...

Great interview! It was fun to read!