tell us about you and your books.
Have you ever cried while writing a book?
I cry with every book I write, usually when the hero and
heroine are finally admitting to each other or to themselves that they are
falling in love. I also tear-up when writing heartbreaking back-stories. I love
putting my characters through the wringer, but sometimes it’s a bit much even
for me.
Do you have trouble saying goodbye to characters?
Definitely. That’s why Lyrical Embrace now
has a sequel, Harmony’s Embrace. Also, Arresting Mason has
spawned into a multi-book series, but I had originally written it for an
anthology call. I just can’t let my heroes and heroines go when there are
always more stories to tell and characters to introduce.
What tips would you give a new writer?
Don’t waste your time submitting to one of the top
traditional publishers. It’s not impossible, but it’s very difficult to get
noticed and chosen by the top dogs. It’s best to start with small
presses and work your way up the ladder. After you get a few stories published
and have firmly planted your feet in the publishing pool, then submit to bigger
publishers, if you still want to.
FYI, writing for small and indie presses allows you
more freedom to write the stories you want to write. The guidelines aren’t as
strict, and these presses accept a boarder range of stories, tropes, and
writing styles than traditional publishing houses do. I definitely recommend go
the small-pubbed route.
When you wrote Lyrical Embrace, did you have
an idea of how it would end at the beginning?
When I first started plotting, I knew I wanted the
bad guy to find the heroine, Erica Timberly, and try to kidnap her. How I was
going to do that, I wasn’t sure. Luckily, I’m a detailed plotter, so everything
came into place nicely by the time I was finally plotting the climax. Once I
got to work on writing the story, I knew everything that was about to happen.
Granted, a few things surprised me along the way, but I kept to the plot for
the most part.
What are your current projects?
Harmony’s Embrace is the follow-up novella to
Lyrical Embrace, and it tells the story of how Birley Haynes reunites
with his high school sweetheart, Harmony Holdich. I love holiday-themed books,
so this MS takes place at Christmastime. Hopefully, it will be published this
winter season, but I’m not sure. It’s currently on submission with my editor.
Arresting Jeremiah, the second installment in
the Arresting Onyx series, picks up where Arresting Mason ends
and should be out in late 2020 or early 2021. The story follows hardnosed
parole officer Jim Borden and his obsession Calista Barlow as they stick their
noses where they don’t belong and fall deep into the trouble with the criminal
organization known as Onyx. This sexy, dirty-talking romantic suspense series
spans five full-length novels and two novellas (I’m currently writing the
novellas) with a standalone HEA for each rough-and-tumble hero and their spunky
heroines.
and for a little fun...
Has the dog ever eaten your manuscript?
No, but my cats have.
Darby, my eight-year-old tabby, likes to lick ink
from paper, so much so that I can’t see what I just wrote after he’s done with
it. (There are also claw marks.) Black ink is his favorite, blue is second, and
he’s not crazy about red. Go figure!
I’ve looked online and spoke with a vet about this,
and it’s apparently a completely normal but kooky thing for a cat to do. (And
cats are all about being kooky!) It’s a learned behavior that stemmed from some
kind of trauma he experienced as a kitten. I’m not sure what that was. I’ve had
him since he was about 6 weeks old.
Do you ever go around in a corset, high heels, and a
whip to get you in the mood to write something naughty?
Well, now that you mention it, I do have a penchant
for latex… :) No, wait. I’m kidding! I swear. Cross my heart.
I do sometimes grab my husband, Greg, and position
him in a certain stance for educational purposes. You see, at times I find it
difficult to visualize how my hero and heroine will hold each other while
kissing, so I have no choice but to practice the scene with my hubby. Whether
that leads to more in-depth research is a private matter… *wink wink*
Do you laugh at your own jokes?
Yes, I do. I’m that lame.
If you came with a warning label, what would it say?
“Do Not Disturb” is in big print, and “While At
Computer” is in little print beneath it. My poor hubby and cats just can’t seem
to get the message, though.
Who's more fun, bad boys or perfect gentlemen? Or
Bad Girl or a lady?
Bad boys, of course! That’s why I write about them.
I prefer down-on-their-luck heroes or even criminals
trying to turn over a new leaf compared to squeaky clean guys or heroes who are
so bland they’re worse than vanilla.
The same goes for the ladies, but I can handle good
girls better than I can good boys.
Where can we find you online?
Download Lyrical Embrace on Amazon and other online retailers.
7 comments:
Amber,
I enjoyed your interview and getting to know you. That was interesting about your cats. It would be nice if they could tell us what they were thinking. lol
Good luck with your books.
Thank you so much, Karen, for stopping by and your kind words.
Yeah, those kitties are crazy. ;) Love 'em to death.
Thank you for hosting me, TWRP!
Love the interview. I've enjoyed your books.🦉
Enjoyed your interview, Amber. And you're so right..."researching" is so important :) All the best
Yep, bad boys can be fun.
Great Post, Amber! Love your stories. Thanks for sharing.
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