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Alexis Hall does fantasy romance as only he can

The author’s latest, Confounding Oaths, comes complete with an evil fairy godmother, plus sweet new releases from Emma R. Alban and Katie Shepard in this month’s romance column.
The author’s latest, Confounding Oaths, comes complete with an evil fairy godmother, plus sweet new releases from Emma R. Alban and Katie Shepard in this month’s romance column.
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Fern Michaels

Interview by Karen Trotter Elley

Now firmly established as one of the royalty of romance writers, Fern Michaels began writing in 1973. When she submitted her first manuscript she was sure it was going to be published. Actually, I was greedy. I thought I was going to be a millionaire. Her second manuscript crossed in the mail with the rejection letter of the first. The second manuscript was published, and Michaels has never looked back.

"I made $1,500 on the sale of that book and bought some things for the house." A frog toilet seat stands out in her mind. Since then she has written over 50 books, been on the New York Times bestseller list many times, and sold approximately 60 million copies of her books throughout the world.

But as Michaels knows, the only thing constant in life is change. After being with the same publisher for 22 years, Michaels accepted an offer from Kensington Books, fired her agent, and moved from New Jersey to South Carolina, all at the same time. It was a traumatic move as she made a quantum leap from the known to the unknown, from the fast track northern lifestyle to a slower Southern pace, and endured the resulting culture shock.

The change turned out to be for the best. Michaels now lives in an historic home (the oldest part was built in 1702) near Charleston. It's an L-shaped house with an unusual, convoluted layout and a resident ghost. "She came with the house; her name is Mary Margaret."

"It's not scary or spooky but Mary Margaret does let you know when she's around." One Christmas Day, in front of several eyewitnesses, the ghost decided to pass the plate, lifting a decorative platter from a stand and setting it gently on the floor. "No one wanted to touch that plate," the author says.

Late on sultry, breezeless days an empty front porch swing glides back and forth. "Clocks stop on Monday morning at ten after nine, but not every Monday. Sometimes months will go by before it happens again," Michaels says.

Her latest book, Listen to Your Heart, has a supernatural twist and a Mother's Day theme. This delightful story about orphaned twin sisters is set in New Orleans where Josie and Kitty Dupr run a catering business. With Kitty about to get married, Josie finds herself alone and at a crossroads. At times, Josie feels that their deceased mother is trying to send her a message. She senses her presence and smells her mother's cologne.

On the eve of the hectic spring catering season, Josie's life is turned upside down by the arrival of mysterious Paul Brouillette and his rambunctious boxer, Zip. After one look, Zip instantly bonds with Josie's tiny Maltese dog, Rosie. Despite all efforts to keep them apart, the two dogs are inseparable, resulting in problems for their owners. As the story unfolds, Paul and Josie are challenged to deal with issues of death and emotional abandonment as each of them learns to Listen to Your Heart.

Michaels says she writes from her own personal experience. "Anyone who writes a book and tells you there is nothing about them in it — is full of it. I may try to disguise it, but that's me in 87 different directions." She also writes about her friends, like singer/songwriter Corinda Carford. The two met at an event and hit it off instantly. Both are gutsy ladies who love food, music, and animals and hate pantyhose. When Michaels received a copy of Carford's CD, she loved The Pantyhose Song and decided to include it in Listen to Your Heart.

Her love for animals comes through in her writing and in her life. When she learned from a news broadcast that a local police dog had been killed in the line of duty, Michaels had bulletproof vests made for every dog in the police department.

When asked what she feels is the best part of her writing career, Michaels says it's her readers. "I get a lot of e-mail. I wrote a book called Dear Emily about overweight people. At first, I wasn't sure I wanted to do it because I might offend people; it's such a sensitive subject. But after it was published I received the nicest letter from a lady who was on her third copy of the book. She had read it so many times; she knew it by heart. She said, 'You saved my life.' " It doesn't get any better than that.

Karen Trotter is a writer with romance in her soul and boogie in her feet.

Now firmly established as one of the royalty of romance writers, Fern Michaels began writing in 1973. When she submitted her first manuscript she was sure it was going to be published. Actually, I was greedy. I thought I was going to be a millionaire. Her second manuscript crossed in the mail with the rejection […]
RomanceRomantic Suspense

Julie Garwood

Interview by Karen Trotter Elley

For the past 15 years Julie Garwood has been writing historical romances very successfully. With over 30 million books in print and 15 New York Times bestsellers, it would seem to be her niche. In her latest book, however, she breaks new ground (and possibly the hearts of some loyal romance readers) with a venture into a new genre the thriller. But never fear, dear readers, Heartbreaker is also a passionate love story sprinkled with the famous Garwood humor.

"My mentor Sister Mary Elizabeth would have had a fit," Garwood laughs, recalling the nun who first introduced her to the world of books. "I was sitting in a 400-year-old church in London, plotting a crime." She says she couldn’t help herself; the ornate confessional tucked into a dark recess of the church fascinated her.

In that moment, the plot for Heartbreaker began to unfold. "What if a priest, expecting to hear a typical confession, isn’t prepared for what he hears? In a whisper, a man asks the priest to grant him forgiveness for a sin he has yet to commit — he wants to kill a woman. He’s done it before, and he wants to do it again. Only this time, he says he wants to warn the victim so it will be more of a challenge for him. The priest is just the one to do that, because the woman he is after is the priest’s sister."

Before she left the church, Garwood knew she had the start of a story she felt destined to write. For a couple of years, the idea remained filed away, but it continued to tug at her — a story waiting to be told. "When I took it out and looked at it last fall, a chill ran through me. Suddenly, I knew who the man in the confessional was and why he had chosen this woman." Immediately, she sat down to write Heartbreaker.

The result is is a riveting thriller in which Garwood employs all the senses, creating vivid characterizations and unexpected twists and turns. The lead character, FBI agent Nicholas Benjamin Buchanan, is an intense, passionate man, totally committed to his service in the missing children unit, a group consisting of 12 handpicked men aptly named "The Apostles." The unit is spearheaded by Pete Morganstern, an unflappable man nicknamed "Prozac Pete."

Agent Nick is about to leave for a long overdue vacation when he receives a cry for help from his childhood friend, Father Tommy Madden. Nick is a man who likes to be in complete command of his emotions. Only three things trip him up: his fear of flying, his deep affection for Tommy, and his instant attraction to Tommy’s alluring sister, Laurant — the target of the deranged killer.

Laurant is eight years younger than her brother Tommy. After their parents’ death in an accident, Laurant grew up in a Geneva boarding school for wealthy young girls. Tommy had tried to bring her to America, but the terms of the trust and a battery of lawyers kept her sequestered until she came of age. She eventually moves to Holy Oaks to be close to her brother who has been diagnosed with cancer.

Nick is determined to stop the killer. In order to stay close to the intended victim, he is forced to assume the role of Laurant’s fiance. Meanwhile fellow agent Noah shadows Father Tommy by posing as a priest, giving ample opportunities for comic relief and zingy one-liners.

Garwood maintains suspense throughout the book by exploring a tangled web of motives and relationships. During the suspenseful finale, in one synchronistic moment, the reader "sees" the true identity of the killer through Nick’s eyes.

Heartbreaker is very visual, and has already been optioned for film. It is also being serialized in Cosmopolitan magazine this summer.

Although her latest story is in a different category from her previous books, Garwood says certain things will always be present in her writing. "The importance of family, whoever that might be. The family setup has changed over the years and the problems are different, but the basic values are still there, and that’s what I want to celebrate in my stories. To me, it validates why we’re here." The character of Tommy is based on her own brother who died four years ago of a brain tumor. "He wasn’t a priest, but he was quite a man."

Nuns and religion are also prominent themes in Garwood’s books — with good reason. At the age of six, she had her tonsils removed and complications from the surgery resulted in a long period of recuperation. Garwood fell hopelessly behind in school and never caught up. "I was a slow, slow reader," Garwood says. "I hated it."

At the age of 11, her mother discovered her daughter’s secret and promptly enrolled her in a summer remedial reading class at the local high school. "When I got there the nuns immediately realized I wasn’t even remedial. By chance, Sister Mary Elizabeth passed us in the hall and was drafted to tutor me." They spent the summer together, and Garwood came to know Sister Elizabeth as a friend and mentor. The patient teacher eventually unlocked the door to the world of reading. "She taught me to love the written word."

"First, she introduced me to the Nancy Drew mysteries. One of her favorite authors was O. Henry, and he became one of mine, too. Of course, some of the vocabulary was beyond me so I had to look up a lot of words. I sat on a large dictionary — got up, looked up a word, sat back down." Garwood jumped up and down like a jack-in-the-box all summer.

Garwood believes in payback, so she freely offers advice and counsel to aspiring writers. "If you don’t know how to format a manuscript, find out. One of the writer’s best friends is the librarian; she will get you where you need to go. They are extremely helpful, especially with research. I would be up the creek without librarians."

She also goes into school classrooms. "It’s so easy for kids to slip through the cracks. I do what I can for literacy with little kids, reading and talking to them. It’s an opportunity to reach them before self-esteem becomes the big issue."

"Sister Elizabeth made reading fun for me — and writing. She gave me a journal and encouraged me to write in it daily, to write my stories or what had happened to me that day. Sister Elizabeth made a great impact on my life and pushed me onto the road I’m on today." Unfortunately, the nun died before Garwood achieved success as a author. "But I think she knows."

 

For the past 15 years Julie Garwood has been writing historical romances very successfully. With over 30 million books in print and 15 New York Times bestsellers, it would seem to be her niche. In her latest book, however, she breaks new ground (and possibly the hearts of some loyal romance readers) with a venture […]
RomanceContemporary Romance

Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Interview by Sandy Huseby

The crown jewel of romantic comedy writers surely has to be Susan Elizabeth Phillips, who starts the new millennium with her first hardcover, a novel harkening back to her most beloved storytelling. This Heart of Mine teams children's author Molly Somerville with pro quarterback Kevin Tucker in a romance with more action than a Super Bowl showdown.

Although Kevin can't seem to remember her name, Molly has been harboring a crush on the Chicago Stars player since she was 16 years old. She's been living out her fantasies through her children's book heroine, Daphne Bunny, a witty gal with a to-die-for-wardrobe. Now 27, Molly decides to swear off unrequited love but can't keep the overpaid, Ferrari-driving, poodle-hating jock out of her mind. The couple battles it out off the field and soon Kevin is on defense against Molly's winning ways.

Where do such warm, charming, sassy-tongued and vulnerable people as Molly and Kevin come from? The clever, gifted heart of Susan Elizabeth Phillips, who talked to BookPage recently from her home in Chicago.

BookPage: So what's a demure romantic comedy writer like you doing writing about brawling, bruising football players like Kevin Tucker?
Susan Elizabeth Phillips: And Dan Calebow, Cal Bonner, Bobby Tom Denton and Kenny Traveler. Odd, isn't it for someone who doesn't really like sports? In my mind, if you don't have to wear mascara to do it, it doesn't count as recreation.

BP: Are you a real-life football fan? Da Bears? Who's your favorite player?
 SEP: The Bears suck. I think I watched part of the Super Bowl last year. I can't stand watching baseball because the players spit. Watching golf is less interesting than watching grass grow. Favorite players? You've got to be kidding. I'm just not much of a fan.

BP: Are you a closet children's book reader? Or author, like Molly?
SEP: Now here's something I can get into. I own the complete set of Eloise, which I adore. I've read all but the last Harry Potter. My 23-year-old son tells me it gets really scary. I'd love to be able to write one of the Daphne the Bunny books, but I don't share Molly's talent. One thing I've discovered in the past year: Romance readers are passionate about the books they loved as children and they delight in talking about them. It's also pretty easy to figure out how old everyone is by the books they choose.

BP: Which is the most-thumbed children's book on your own reading shelf?
SEP: Goodnight Moon, hands down. I read it to the boys every night for years and years.

BP: You're a former teacher? What did you teach? Why?
 SEP: I taught high school drama, speech and English. My degree is in theater, but I knew by the time I graduated that I was neither beautiful enough nor talented enough to make it on the stage. Thus, teaching.

BP: Would you go ever go back to teaching?
SEP: I loved teaching, especially teenagers. Now I have to get my teaching fix by doing writing workshops, which I adore.

BP: What's the most important banned book you've ever read?
 SEP: So many great books have been banned in one place or another that it's pretty hard to choose. I remember reading Forever Amber in the back of the public library because my mother told me I wasn't old enough for it. Catcher In The Rye was a book that knocked me for a loop. It was the first time I understood the concept of author voice. I've never gotten over that book. Currently, Harry Potter. We all should get down on our knees daily and give thanks to J.K. Rowling for all the future readers she's snagging us.

BP: When the Chicago wind chill's 30 below and everything's socked in what do you do?
SEP: EXCUSE ME? We don't get "socked in" in Chicago at a mere 30 below. We're hearty Midwesterners and we go out and meet the elements! After I've met the elements, however, I love sitting snug at my computer and writing while the snow and wind try to shatter my office windows.

This Heart of Mine is just the romantic comedy readers will want to snuggle up with. Susan Elizabeth Phillips delivers a championship story!

Sandy Huseby writes at fireside in Fargo or lakeside in northern Minnesota.

The crown jewel of romantic comedy writers surely has to be Susan Elizabeth Phillips, who starts the new millennium with her first hardcover, a novel harkening back to her most beloved storytelling. This Heart of Mine teams children's author Molly Somerville with pro quarterback Kevin Tucker in a romance with more action than a Super […]
RomanceContemporary Romance

Nora Roberts

Interview by Karen Trotter Elley

Fate—author Nora Roberts believes in it. "After all, I'm Irish Catholic, I come by it naturally," she said in a recent interview. Blessed with a diverse style, a fertile imagination and the discipline instilled by the nuns, Roberts has racked up some staggering statistics and become a publishing phenomenon. A total of 69 books written by the prolific author have shown up on the New York Times bestseller list, including five written under her J.D. Robb nom de plume. With over 145 million copies of her books in print, Roberts is on the fast track of women's fiction. Her mass-market sales now surpass Danielle Steel, and based on USA Today's 2001 bestseller list, she is closing in on J.K. Rowling.

Roberts' writing career began in 1979 when she was snowbound at home in western Maryland with her two kids. "When school was canceled every morning for a week, I'm not ashamed to admit I wept," she says. On impulse, she decided to write down one of the stories in her head. "As soon as I started, I fell for the process of writing, and I knew it was what I should have been doing all along." Roberts went on to write six manuscripts before she was finally published.

"I'd written all these books and nobody was buying anything, but it didn't matter to me whether they got published or not, it was something I needed to do for me. I love being able to make believe. So many of us lose that when we grow up the ability to be able to just go with our imagination." But where do all those ideas come from? "From the National Idea Bank," she laughs. "Actually, I'm clueless. I'm never quite sure what the process is or where these ideas come from. I think writers are hard-wired for stories, it's what we do, it's what we are." The idea for Roberts' latest book, Three Fates, came while she was on a trip to Ireland, the land of her ancestors. She stopped at Cobh (pronounced cove), a historic, picturesque city by the sea, and the port of passage for more than 2.5 million Irish immigrants. "My own ancestors would have departed from there," Roberts says.

The people of Cobh are all too familiar with the whims of fate and destiny. The harbor was the last port of call for the Titanic and is the final resting place of the Lusitania. On May 7, 1915, the passenger ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat and sank offshore, killing 1,198 people.

Roberts was fascinated by the stories of the Lusitania disaster. "But I don't write historicals," she says, "so what was I going to do with that? I started thinking what if. What if something was on the ship and somebody had it and survived?"

The something turned out to be one of three silver statues known as the Fates. According to Greek mythology, the Moerae or Fates are three powerful goddesses who determined the lives of men. Clotho wove the thread of life, Lachesis measured it out and Atropos cut it off with her scissors of death. As one of the characters in Three Fates points out, "Three parts . . . one purpose. Alone they would be nothing but ordinary if interesting women. Together, the most powerful and honored of gods." The someone in Roberts' "what if" became passenger Felix Greenfield, a petty thief who survived the disaster to become a changed man. He kept a small silver statue he had pilfered as a good luck charm, and it became a family heirloom.

Nearly a century later, Greenfield's heirloom has been snatched away from his rightful heirs. Malachi, Gideon and Rebecca Sullivan are determined to recover their statue, find the other two Fates and make their fortune. Almost as determined is Cleo, an exotic dancer, who sees the Fates as her ticket to a new life. In New York, they join forces with a formidable although somewhat neurotic female professor and a sexy security expert who knows how to play high-tech hide-and-seek.

Relationships develop among the treasure and pleasure seekers, who see more action than the craps tables in Atlantic City. All the while, their every move is being tracked by Anita Gaye, an ambitious woman who will stop at nothing to acquire the Fates. As always Roberts creates strong, well-defined characters that practically leap off the page and make you hate to see the story end.

But never fear Roberts is already back at work. "I'm in the process of writing a complex, problematic trilogy that is currently driving me insane. The story deals with three women who meet for the first time when they are challenged to take on three parts of a quest to unlock a box that holds the souls of three Celtic gods. When it's going well, I'm rubbing my hands together; when it's not, I'm beating my head against the wall."

Roberts should have plenty of money for aspirin. In the time it takes to read this sentence, another eight of her books have been sold.

 

Fate—author Nora Roberts believes in it. "After all, I'm Irish Catholic, I come by it naturally," she said in a recent interview. Blessed with a diverse style, a fertile imagination and the discipline instilled by the nuns, Roberts has racked up some staggering statistics and become a publishing phenomenon. A total of 69 books written […]
RomanceContemporary Romance

Susan Wiggs

Interview by Sandy Huseby

The sacrifices of military couples In her new novel, The Ocean Between Us, popular romance writer Susan Wiggs pays tribute to the military families who struggle to keep their bonds strong during challenging times. As Wiggs richly demonstrates, the simple vows "for better, for worse . . . 'til death us do part" have a special meaning for couples who face lengthy separations as a result of military deployments. Grace, the Navy wife at the center of The Ocean Between Us, finds the challenge of sustaining her 20-year marriage takes on bittersweet urgency when a catastrophe on her husband's aircraft carrier threatens to separate the couple forever.

A Harvard graduate and former math teacher, Wiggs is a RITA award-winning author who has written more than 20 novels, from historical romances to contemporary women's fiction. She recently talked to BookPage from her island home in Puget Sound about how her latest novel took shape.

BookPage: What compelled you to write this book? Do you have a military background?

Susan Wiggs: Not at all! Researching this, I felt like an anthropologist studying another culture. The military is definitely a world apart. The book I wanted to write was the story of a woman and her marriage a good marriage. Novels about bad marriages abound, but I find the idea of a good marriage that is severely tested much more interesting.

Then I went in search of my characters. Who was this woman? Where did she live? Who was she married to? What will make this story special? That's when I hit on the military angle for this book. The U.S. Navy is a huge presence here in Puget Sound. It's common to be driving along on Bainbridge Island, and pulling over to watch an aircraft carrier steaming toward its home port of Bremerton. In fact, I stood in the freezing wind one day to watch the Carl Vinson come home after its post-9/11 deployment.

One of my dearest friends and fellow writers, Geri Krotow, is a Navy wife. The day I saw her fix a Command Pin on her husband's chest at his Change of Command ceremony, I was so moved by the gesture that I knew this would be the right background for The Ocean Between Us. The bravery and sacrifice of Geri and her family touched my heart.

What have you learned about marriage through writing this story?

I have a vivid recollection of writing a scene in The Ocean Between Us in which Grace and Steve say goodbye just before he boards the aircraft carrier for a six-month deployment. In the scene, they've just had a huge falling-out, and they're estranged. It's a very sad scene and I remember thinking, "Wiggs, you'd better find a way to fix this situation!" Now it occurs to me that the marriage of the people in this book, which I think is a very good marriage subjected to some terrible pressures, reflects what I believe about marriage and commitment. The good ones are worth fighting for.

What have you learned about writing through telling this story?

That the best way to tell a story is the way that gives the reader the best possible ride. This story doesn't unfurl chronologically. It starts with a huge, dramatic event, then goes back and reveals the steps that led to that moment. Then the story finishes with the fallout from the big drama. It was an interesting challenge to write, and I'm hoping it's compelling for the reader.

What do you hope readers learn about military families from this book?

Without ramming it down their throats, I do hope The Ocean Between Us is an honest look at the benefits and the costs faced by families in the military. It's often a good news/bad news situation. For example, last year, my friend Geri's husband didn't have to pay income tax on 10 months of his income. That's the good news. The bad news is that the reason he doesn't have to pay taxes is that for those 10 months, he was in harm's way fighting in Iraq.

 

The sacrifices of military couples In her new novel, The Ocean Between Us, popular romance writer Susan Wiggs pays tribute to the military families who struggle to keep their bonds strong during challenging times. As Wiggs richly demonstrates, the simple vows "for better, for worse . . . 'til death us do part" have a […]
RomanceRomantic Suspense

Jayne Ann Krentz

Interview by Barbara Samuel

Prolific and beloved, Jayne Ann Krentz is a New York Times best-selling author under several pen names. As Jayne Castle, she ventures into futuristic romance, and as Amanda Quick, she writes historical romance, including her recent bestseller, Second Sight, set in the late Victorian period. In that book, she created the intriguing Arcane Society, a secret organization peopled by psychics. Now she brings the society to the present day.

In the fast-paced, sizzling White Lies, descendants of the original society members are classified according to their abilities, and an entire network has developed to nurture and protect them but even that network has its failings. Claire Lancaster is a level 10 psychic, a human lie detector considered too highly gifted to be stable. She meets Jake Salter, who is a level 10 hunter, and the sparks fly as the two try to track down a killer who wants Claire dead. Krentz answered a few questions about her new book and the romance genre from her home in Seattle.

You've made no secret of your belief in the appeal of the alpha male in romance novels, and Jake Salter is an alpha in every sense of the word. What is the appeal of such strong male characters?

In my experience, readers don't like weak or insipid characters of any gender at least, not the readers in my genre. Our heroines are always strong, determined women with an agenda. That means those of us who write romantic suspense have to provide them with heroes who are their equals men who also present a serious challenge. No challenge, no conflict, no story.

The Arcane Society is a highly developed world (readers can learn more about it on jayneannkrentz.com). Is there any historical basis for such an organization?

Organizations devoted to paranormal research were huge in the Victorian era. I took that idea and ran with it, creating a secret society of psychics that is still going strong today. This allows me to provide a lot of history and background for the Arcane Society, which, in turn, makes for an interesting world. At least, I'm interested in it.

Will there be more Arcane Society novels? Contemporary or historical?

I'm hoping to make this a long-running series, although not every book will be an Arcane Society novel. My next Amanda Quick hardcover, The River Knows, is not part of the series. However, my next Jayne Ann Krentz title will be an Arcane story.

You write in three different areas of romance contemporary romantic suspense, historical romance and futuristic rom-ance. What is the appeal of moving between genres? Do you prefer one over the others?

I don't think of them as three different genres, just three different worlds. All of my novels feature a strong romance and a suspense-based plot. Heck, it's just what I do. But the three time periods allow me to do different kinds of plots and work with different kinds of romantic relationships. There are stories that work brilliantly in an historical, for instance, that just wouldn't fly in a contemporary and vice-versa. And I find moving between my three worlds very refreshing and invigorating. When I leave one I'm more than ready to dive into the next.

Your dedication to romance novels is well known—you've even edited a book of essays about the genre. Why do readers love romances so intensely?

Three reasons. First, women love stories about relationships all kinds of relationships. The romance novel revolves around the core relationship that is the basis for all the others: the one between a man and a woman. It is endlessly fascinating. Second, the romance genre is the only genre where women are guaranteed a story that will always put the heroine at the heart of the book. It is always HER story. Third, readers know that in these books the ancient, heroic female values will be affirmed: courage, honor, determination and the healing power of love.

What one misconception about romance novels would you correct if you could?

That the genre is only one story. The truth is, there is far more experimentation and innovation going on within the romance genre than in any of the others. We've got everything from Christian inspirational to classic historical romance to vampire romance. Take the current interest in the paranormal, which is just starting to infiltrate mystery and suspense. It is coming straight out of the romance genre, where it has been going strong for the past couple of years. And look how many enormously popular female suspense writers built their audiences first within the romance genre: Sandra Brown, Iris Johansen, Janet Evanovich, etc. They have gone on to change the landscape of the suspense genre by bringing their romantic sensibilities to it.

Prolific and beloved, Jayne Ann Krentz is a New York Times best-selling author under several pen names. As Jayne Castle, she ventures into futuristic romance, and as Amanda Quick, she writes historical romance, including her recent bestseller, Second Sight, set in the late Victorian period. In that book, she created the intriguing Arcane Society, a […]
RomanceContemporary Romance

Kristan Higgins

Interview by Karen Trotter Elley

The seeds of Kristan Higgins’ writing career were sown when, at the age of 13, she swiped Shanna—a notorious bodice ripper by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss—from her grandmother’s nightstand. Woodiwiss has been called “the founding mother of the historical romance genre” and has inspired a whole generation of writers, Higgins among them.

“I was hooked,” Higgins says. “For several years, I controlled the black market for romance novels at my Catholic girl’s school, and now they actually carry my books in their library, which I find shocking!”

Higgins began her writing career as an advertising copywriter right after college, and worked until her first daughter was born. Then when a second child came along, and the two kids started napping simultaneously in the afternoon, the young mother had a couple of hours to herself for the first time.

“I wasn’t one of those people who carried a notebook around and wrote down everything,” Higgins recalls, “but I was a reader. And since I’d been reading romance novels for decades at that point, I thought I’d like to see if I could write one. The jump from ad copy to fiction wasn’t too hard,” she says with a laugh.

When Higgins finished her first novel, Fools Rush In, she shipped it off to an agent who immediately took her on as a client. “I was really lucky,” Higgins stresses; “the timing was right, and the agent was willing to take a chance on a new author, and she made a sale.” She advises other aspiring writers to keep working, make sure you know what you do well and hone that skill. “Keep your head down, work hard and never be satisfied,” she says.

Apparently Higgins took her own advice. Her second book, Catch of the Day, won the 2008 Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award for best contemporary romance. Next came Just One of the Guys in August 2008, followed by Too Good to Be True in February 2009.

Her latest offering hits bookstores this month, just in time for Valentine’s Day. As in Higgins’ past books, family relationships are the stars of the show. The Next Best Thing is a multi-generational, heartwarming tale of lost love, broken hearts and second chances set in a small New England town, peopled with plenty of funny, quirky folks to provide some timely comic relief.

The heroine, Lucy, works in the family business, Bunny’s Hungarian Bakery, as a bread baker who secretly yearns to create desserts. Her mother and her aunts Iris and Rose all share the same maiden name—Black—and all were widowed by the age of 50. As a result, they have been dubbed the Black Widows, and five years ago, 24-year-old Lucy joined their ranks when her one true love, her husband Jimmy, died in a car accident. Now, Lucy’s very pregnant sister, Corinne, lives in constant fear that her husband Chris is next.

So Lucy has decided that it’s time to get on with her life, find a husband and have children. Ethan, a friend with privileges, is immediately ruled out because he is much too attractive and their relationship is way too complicated. Lucy wants someone more mundane, secure and safe and, dare we say, boring—somebody she won’t ever love too much. Lucy’s learned her lesson: Love hurts, especially when the one you love is gone.

After going through a series of false starts, Lucy may have found a promising candidate. But to date, no Black Widow has ever remarried, and the fact that Lucy has supposedly made up her mind doesn’t stop her aunts and Jimmy’s parents from doling out more unsolicited advice than Dr. Phil. Soon Lucy is yo-yoing back and forth between her head and her heart, trying to make a decision—and making everybody else crazy in the process. A pseudo-psychic offers guidance from Jimmy on the other side, but will Lucy be able to interpret his message before it’s too late?

Much like the extended family in The Next Best Thing, Higgins herself grew up in a large, tight-knit Hungarian family. “All my heroines are involved with their family, sometimes to their detriment, because nobody knows you and can torment you as effectively as your family. But hopefully no one loves you and accepts you as much as your family.”

Higgins’ three great-aunts and her mother, all widows, inspired the fictional Black Widows. “Unfortunately my aunts have all passed away,” she says, “but I hope somehow they’ll know that they’ve been immortalized.”

Although Higgins says she tries to focus on universal ideas and concerns, writing about the death of a husband is not a common romance theme. She handles the issue with grace and humor and strikes emotional chords by putting into words what is in the hearts and minds of many who have lost loved ones.

“My dad died unexpectedly when I was 23,” she explains. “Losing someone like that re-creates your world; it’s suddenly different and you have to learn how to negotiate that landscape.” The plot of The Next Best Thing revolves around Lucy’s struggle to accept the fact that her life with Jimmy is over—and that she still has a lot of living left to do.

“Being widowed young is something I live in fear of because my mom was widowed when she was 46, and my husband’s a firefighter. So if he’s late coming home from work, all these worried thoughts go through my head. You never trust the fates in the same way as someone who hasn’t been through that experience.”

Although not every real romance has a happily-ever-after ending, Higgins doesn’t think those endings will ever go out of style in fiction. “It’s about the quest to find the one person to share your life, help carry your burdens, celebrate your triumphs and love the real you. Romance novels are a promise to the reader that love makes you stronger and life better, and you’re going to feel good at the end of a book.”

 “I want to write big memorable love stories about regular people,” Higgins says, “like me or my best friend, or my sister. Not everyone is rich, famous, beautiful, psychic or immortal.” On her website there’s a quote that sums it all up: “Real life, true love and lots of laughs.”

The seeds of Kristan Higgins’ writing career were sown when, at the age of 13, she swiped Shanna—a notorious bodice ripper by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss—from her grandmother’s nightstand. Woodiwiss has been called “the founding mother of the historical romance genre” and has inspired a whole generation of writers, Higgins among them. “I was hooked,” Higgins […]
RomanceHistorical Romance

Gwyn Cready

Interview by Eliza Borné

What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?
From Nora Roberts, though she didn't give it to me personally. She said when she hears writers talking about their creative muse, she wants to bitch slap them. The only method that works, she says, is the "ass in chair" method. I agree with her wholly, though in my case you'd have to extend it to be the "ass in chair, fingers on keyboard, logged off of Facebook and Gmail" method.

Of all the characters you've every written, which one is your favorite?
I have a real soft spot for Drum, the captain of the privateer in Tumbling Through Time. Maybe it's because he looks like Colin Firth (never hurts.) Maybe it's because he is such a natural seaman. Maybe it's because he ends up yearning for the heroine but not getting her. I think there are more stories ahead for Drum. 

What was the proudest moment of your career so far?
Oh, winning the RITA. Hands down. I think it even eclipsed getting the call that my first book sold. What made the night so special, apart from winning, of course, was that not only was my husband there, but four very close friends had come in to attend as well. It was great to share the night with them. That day was also my younger sister Claire's birthday. It had been Claire's unexpected death twelve years earlier that spurred me to become a writer. I know she was watching that night. In fact, if I know Claire, she was the one who made it happen.

Name one book you think everyone should read (besides your own!).
Any of Patrick O'Brian's 20-book Aubrey/Maturin series, but, heck, why not start with the first, Master and Commander. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, the books follow the adventures of a British naval captain and his closest friend, the ship's surgeon who is also a British agent. The relationship the two characters share is extraordinary, and O'Brian is capable of deeply entertaining his readers while also teaching them about the natural world, geography, sea-going life, naval practices and politics, which to me is the best sort of writing. The New York Times called O'Brian's work "the best historical fiction ever written." It's certainly the best I've read. And it is safe to say my sea captain heroes owe much of their genetic makeup to Captain Jack Aubrey.

What book are you embarrassed NOT to have read?
The Bible. Sadly for me, the musical Godspell is pretty much the full extent of what I know.

How would you earn a living if you weren't a writer?
As an expert in brand management, which is how I spent the first 25 years of my working life.

What are you working on now? I'm working on my fifth novel. In it, a snobby book critic at a New York City magazine screws up at work, and her punishment is to write an in-depth article about why women love romances. She's never read one, considering them to be the literary equivalent of Word Search puzzles, and has no idea why anyone would read one . . . that is, until the photographer assigned to the piece—her ex-boyfriend, who has his own reasons for wanting the article to be a success—starts feeding her reading recommendations from his older sister, a romance-reading fiend. When his sister mentions offhandedly that she doesn't know why more men don't use romances as guidebooks for getting women in bed, the photographer finds himself as engaged a reader as his ex-girlfriend.

The working title is A Novel Seduction. It's my first non-time-travel romance, but since the books the hero and heroine read are so good at sweeping them in, the story still has a real magical feel to it. In January, I start on my sixth book, which will be a return to time travel with a nobleman, a bastard son and a librarian struggling to keep her library afloat. Timely, eh?

Author photo by Garen DiBartolomeo.

 

What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten? From Nora Roberts, though she didn't give it to me personally. She said when she hears writers talking about their creative muse, she wants to bitch slap them. The only method that works, she says, is the "ass in chair" method. I agree with her wholly, though […]
RomanceParanormal Romance

Carolyn Jewel

Interview by Trisha Ping

Describe your book in one sentence.
Fortunately, I am an experienced Twitterer and can do this. I think. I hope.

A hot demon assassin meets a punk ballerina and together they kick butt.

Name one book you think everyone should read.
Uh, the California State driver’s manual? Because if you come here, I want you to be a better driver than we Californians are.

What book are you embarrassed NOT to have read?
I’m well beyond the embarrassment stage in my Have Not Read list. I knocked off a lot of them while I was in grad school where I realized it’s not possible to read all the books you’re supposed to have read. So, I freely and without embarrassment admit to the holes in my Life List of books. But here’s one: The Old Man and the Sea. (Except I’m not embarrassed by that. Possibly a bit sheepish, but not embarrassed.)

What was the proudest moment of your career so far?
So far, it’s being a RITA finalist for two books in 2010 (my historical Scandal and my paranormal My Forbidden Desire). It took a while to sink in, but it was, and remains, a personal validation that my writing probably doesn’t suck too badly.

If you weren't a writer, how would you earn a living?
The way I earn most of my living now. I’m a SQL Server database administrator in my day job.

What's your favorite movie based on a book?
Oh, unfair that you restrict me to one movie! I will cheat and say, Harry Potter.

If you had to be stranded on a desert island with one fictional character, who would you want it to be?
At first the answer to this seemed obvious: MacGyver, because we wouldn’t be stranded for very long since he would quickly build a submersible canoe from coconuts, woodshavings, a rubberband and some kelp. However, an alternate answer occurs: Eric Northman from the Sookie Stackhouse series. He can fly and I would immediately trade a small amount of blood and dry but witty jokes for a ride.

Describe your book in one sentence.Fortunately, I am an experienced Twitterer and can do this. I think. I hope. A hot demon assassin meets a punk ballerina and together they kick butt. Name one book you think everyone should read.Uh, the California State driver’s manual? Because if you come here, I want you to be […]
RomanceWomen's FictionInspirational Fiction

Karen Kingsbury

Interview by Karen Trotter Elley

Recently, Karen Kingsbury, the prolific author crowned the queen of Christian fiction by Time magazine, will celebrate the publication of Leaving, the first book in her four-part Bailey Flanigan series.

But she won’t be celebrating alone.

“I created the series because the reader friends asked for it,” Kingsbury says in a phone call from her home in Vancouver.

“Whenever I wrote about the Flanigans, the reader friends wrote back and asked for more Bailey. Then I introduced Cody, a kid with problems, and readers just loved him.” Now, fans will get what they’ve been asking for in a series that will finally complete the Bailey/Cody love story.

In Leaving, 20-year-old Bailey prepares to leave her childhood home in Bloomington, Indiana, headed to audition for a Broadway musical in New York City. But Bailey’s heart is heavy as she leaves for what may be the opportunity of a lifetime. If she gets the coveted role on Broadway, it means leaving family and friends for an extended period of time—and that includes Cody Coleman, the love of her life back home. Cody has suddenly disappeared from Bailey’s life, taking a coaching position in a nearby small town to be closer to his mother, who has been jailed on drug charges. Bailey is always on his mind and in his heart, but Cody doesn’t think he’s good enough for her. Complications arise, as they always do; for Cody, it’s the presence of lovely Cheyenne, the widow of his best friend who was killed in Iraq; for Bailey, it’s the possibility of a whole new life in New York—and a deepening relationship with her handsome movie star friend, Brandon Paul.

Since the Flanigan family is loosely based on Kingsbury’s own family (which includes husband Donald, one daughter and five sons—three of whom are adopted from Haiti), she didn’t have to look far for inspiration.

“It was crazy, because while I was writing scenes in Leaving about Bailey packing up to move to New York, my daughter Kelsey suddenly decided to go to college 1,500 miles away from home. It certainly added an emotional intensity to my research.”

But where does Bailey end and Kelsey begin? “My daughter has the same courage and conviction as Bailey, but God’s plan for her life is still unfolding, and that takes a lot of patience. Kelsey and Bailey are both enrolled in college and interested in musical theater, but Kelsey hasn’t starred in a movie, or been offered a spot on Broadway. And she doesn’t have a Cody or Brandon in her life.” Yet.

One thing that stands out in Leaving is that two of the characters—Bailey and Ashley Baxter Blake, whose husband is facing health issues—repeatedly, consciously choose to live in the moment. When asked about that choice, Kingsbury says, “In the past, I was vaguely aware of the concept of being fully in the moment, and I might have mentioned it at a women’s seminar or at a conference, but it wasn’t a principle that I had put into daily practice.”

Then in January 2010, her husband Donald had a stroke, followed by successful surgery in March to close a hole in his heart. “After the challenges of last year, I learned to appreciate every moment, and I do my best to savor and enjoy each experience.”

One of her favorite times for making memories is Easter. “When I was growing up,” Kingsbury says, “I had three sisters, so there were always plenty of pretty dresses and the usual Easter eggs, baskets and bunnies—symbols that we associated with the renewal of life.”

Easter was always full of light and hope in Kingsbury’s childhood, especially compared with the somberness of Good Friday. “Even as a young girl, I really grasped the sadness of Jesus on a cross. It always made Easter so much better. The sun always seemed to be shining on Easter morning—a reminder of God’s promise after the darkness.”

These days, one of Kingsbury’s favorite Easter traditions is talking with her husband and children. “Each Easter Sunday, we gather and share about how we’re doing so far in the new year. We talk about what’s going on in each of our lives, our hopes and dreams, and how the Lord is working among us. Always we’re amazed at the miracles of God around us.”

Surely Kingsbury has already fulfilled many of her hopes and dreams. With 54 books (and counting), millions of copies sold worldwide, her name on USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists and honors galore, she has become a mainstay in Christian fiction. And she’s certainly not going anywhere anytime soon. Next in the Bailey Flanigan series is Learning, followed by Longing and Loving.

In Leaving, Kingsbury delivers an entertaining story with memorable characters and a powerful message about the only things that last—faith, love and our connection with God. As she says, “Jesus stays.”

 

Recently, Karen Kingsbury, the prolific author crowned the queen of Christian fiction by Time magazine, will celebrate the publication of Leaving, the first book in her four-part Bailey Flanigan series. But she won’t be celebrating alone. “I created the series because the reader friends asked for it,” Kingsbury says in a phone call from her […]
RomanceParanormal Romance

Jude Deveraux

Interview by Abby Plesser

With 40 New York Times bestsellers and 60 million copies of her books in print worldwide, romance author Jude Deveraux is a force to be reckoned with. She took time out of her busy schedule to talk with BookPage about inspiration, her writing process and whom she’d like to be stranded with on a desert island.

You are the best-selling author of both historical and contemporary romances. Where do you find your inspiration? How do you decide what type of novel you want to write next?
Everything I do, hear, see—I think, how can I use that in a book? Sometimes an event will inspire me, sometimes a personality trait will make me think of building a character around it. I often think, I’d like to write a book about . . . fill in the blank. As for time period, that’s chosen by the idea. When I find something I want to write about, it always has a time period attached to it. I read something about a man going into the wilds of Florida to paint the flora and fauna. That interested me so I thought I’d use it in a book. That it was to be historical was a given. It turned out to be The Scent of Jasmine.

What kind of research do you do for your historical novels? How do you keep all the characters in your Edilean Series straight? There are so many!
Whenever I do an historical, I usually spend about a month doing specific research on whatever is the basis for the novel. I buy several books about the subject and read them with note cards in my hands. I use a genealogy software to keep my Edilean characters straight. Since I’m not good with numbers, it’s difficult for me to figure out the dates of when people were born and had babies. But the software checks me on my dates and tells me when I have a couple of 10-year-olds as parents. I realized right away that unless my characters were to marry cousins I had to bring in newcomers. It’s nice for me to know about things like who owns the local grocery, whose ancestor was devious and whose was a hero.

In Scarlet Nights, an undercover investigator climbs through the trapdoor of Sara Shaw’s apartment—and sparks begin to fly. If you could choose any hero to show up at your house, who would it be?
Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton. He was a Victorian explorer. I’ve read umpteen bios about him and am deeply in love with him. Just the mention of his name makes my heart flutter. That he lived over 100 years ago has never seemed to matter to me. A wonderful, intelligent, heroic man!

Do you have a favorite couple from literature, movies or life?
I like all the real-life couples I meet who have been married 30-some years and still like each other. I envy them so very much!

If you had to be stranded on a desert island with one fictional character, who would you want it to be?
I’m tempted to say, “A boat builder,” but that’s too easy. I recently wrote a book called The End of Summer, and the hero of it, Dr. Tristan Aldredge, is the nicest, sweetest man I’ve ever written about. I usually start out with people who have been hurt in some way. Working through their problems gives me a plot. But Tristan was just plain sweet. He inspired love in people wherever he went. It didn’t hurt that he was so beautiful that women drew in their breath when they saw him, but that was beside the point. Dr. Tris was funny, creative and gentle. I could stand to spend some time with him in real life.

What’s next for you?
I have a bit more to write on the second book of a trilogy set in Edilean. When these are finished, I’m going to start a new series. Funny things have happened with these three books. The father of my first heroine was just supposed to move the story forward, but Joe Layton turned out to be bigger than life. I’ve taken him into Book Two and given him someone to love. I had the hero for Book Three planned from the beginning, but the brother of the heroine of Book Two is so angry that I may give him Sophie to straighten him out. I would love to give the titles to these books but I don’t have any. I can write a book much, much easier than I can come up with a title. If any of you have title ideas, please go onto my website and tell me. If I use it, I’ll dedicate the book to you.

 

With 40 New York Times bestsellers and 60 million copies of her books in print worldwide, romance author Jude Deveraux is a force to be reckoned with. She took time out of her busy schedule to talk with BookPage about inspiration, her writing process and whom she’d like to be stranded with on a desert […]
RomanceParanormal Romance

7 questions with . . . Colleen Gleason

Interview by Cat, Deputy Editor

Author of more than 15 books, Colleen Gleason chatted with us to introduce the next installment of her Regency Draculia series, The Vampire Narcise. Fraught with betrayal and passion, her newest historical vampire novel is dangerous and fiery — just what her fans hope for! It’s no wonder why it’s our top June romance pick, chosen by fellow romance author Christie Ridgway.

Gleason gave us a sneak-peek of what’s to come, plus a little bit about favorite books and sexiest characters.

Describe your book in one sentence:
The Regency Draculia series can best be described as Jane Austen meets J. R. Ward, or Jane Austen’s version of Twilightfor grown-ups.

Of all the characters you’ve ever written, which is your favorite?
That’s such a tricky question to answer because it depends on the day. But probably the majority of the time, the answer has to be Max Pesaro (of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles). But a close second is Dimitri, the Earl of Corvindale (of The Vampire Dimitri).

What is the best thing about writing?
Being able to indulge my imagination and go on a journey with the voices in my head.

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
You can’t fix a blank page. Write something and fix it later.

What books inspire you?
In general, a well-written book will always inspire me to work on my own. Ones that have influenced me in particular include mysteries by Elizabeth Peters (because she is a mistress of subtlety) and The Writer’s Journey.

If you had to be stranded on a desert island with one fictional character, who would it be?
Dang. That’s almost as bad as asking me who my favorite character is that I’ve ever written. I guess I’d have to say Iron Man because…well, because he looks like Robert Downey Jr. And because I figure he’d be able to get us off the island! (When I was ready.)

What’s next?
I’m looking forward to doing more of the Regency Draculia, picking up the stories of some characters introduced in the first three books. Also, I’m working on the fifth book in the contemporary/futuristic paranormal romance series I write as Joss Ware, as well as the second book in the Marina Alexander adventure series (the first one is Siberian Treasure).

Author of more than 15 books, Colleen Gleason chatted with us to introduce the next installment of her Regency Draculia series, The Vampire Narcise. Fraught with betrayal and passion, her newest historical vampire novel is dangerous and fiery — just what her fans hope for! It’s no wonder why it’s our top June romance pick, […]
RomanceRomantic Suspense

7 questions with . . . Cindy Gerard

Interview by Cat, Deputy Editor

Our August 2011 Romance of the Month seriously smolders. It’s a double tap of sex and danger, and our romance columnist loved it: “Breathtaking suspense and pulse-pounding passion make this a wow of a read.”

Cindy Gerard chatted with us about writing and her newest Black Ops romantic suspense, With No Remorse.

Describe your book in one sentence.
HOT covert operative meets HOT super model and have a HOT time running from the bad guys who are HOT on their trail. (Do you see a theme here?)

Name one book you think everyone should read.
Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. The folks on Capitol Hill should give it a read.

What are the sexiest scenes to write?
It’s all about emotion. If the heart’s not involved then the heat just ain’t happenin’.

If you weren’t a writer, how would you earn a living?
I would be a trophy wife.

If you had to be stranded on a desert island with one fictional character, who would you choose?
A genie in a bottle. Then I could wish my way off the darn island.

Name one bad habit you have no intention of breaking.
Procrastination. I LIVE to waste time. And I’m damn good at it.

What are you working on next?
I’m not working. I’m procrastinating. :o) BUT, I just (as in yesterday) finished Last Man Standing, the final book in my Black Ops series featuring Joe Green – a good guy gone rogue – by an author gone wild! Oh, the humanity….

Our August 2011 Romance of the Month seriously smolders. It’s a double tap of sex and danger, and our romance columnist loved it: “Breathtaking suspense and pulse-pounding passion make this a wow of a read.” Cindy Gerard chatted with us about writing and her newest Black Ops romantic suspense, With No Remorse. Describe your book […]

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