Have you met Bec McMaster?

 Let me introduce you to one of my favorite authors, the brilliant Bec McMaster. I met Bec at the Romance Writers of America conference in San Diego, then she graciously allowed me to hang with her at the Romance Writers of Australia conference in Melbourne in 2019. I'm nuts for her books...and I think you should be too.

Want to know a little bit about Bec? Here is my interview with her.

 

1.     Tell me a little about your writing - what are your favorite themes, what keeps you coming back to the page?

Hey Linda. I write epic fantasy romances with a dark and sexy twist, and I’m addicted to anti-heroes and villains-turned-heroes. I love trying to work out what makes such a hero tick, and anything with a marriage-of-convenience, enemies-to-lovers, villain-turned-hero trope is like catnip for me. Combined? Utter perfection. They’re the stories that pour out of me. 

2. Who are your writing influences? 

Ooh, interesting. I think a lot of my writing was influenced during my teen years when all I read was fantasy. I adored the strong female characters in Robin Hobb’s and Melanie Rawn’s books, but there was often something missing in the majority of fantasy that I read…. I binge read Katharine Kerr’s Deverry series for any glimpses of Rhodry and Jill, and I am still desperate to know about the ending of Melanie Rawn’s Ruins of Ambrai series for more Sarra/Collan moments. I cried buckets over the lack of HEA’s in fantasy (and basically rewrote the endings in my head). But it was probably me finding Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels series that really influenced me. 

Daemon Sadi, Lucivar Yaslana and Saetan Sa’Diablo? The sex appeal was off the charts, and combined with strong female characters like Surreal, I was in bliss. This. This was what I wanted more of. Unfortunately, paranormal romance and fantasy romance was still a ways off, so I had to start creating my own, but Anne Bishop was a massive formative influence. 

3. You just released Thief of Dreams (loved it!) in the Court of Dreams series.  What was the seed of inspiration for this amazing, creative series?

I’d been asked to write a novella for an anthology back in 2019, and I was watching The Bachelor, running ideas through my head, when some of the bachelorettes were playing games with each other. And I was thinking: Wouldn’t it be interesting if one of the bachelorettes was killing off the competition? I laughed under my breath, and then this fully fleshed idea dropped into my head. A fae prince. A bride summons. Competing fae princesses all desperate for his hand. Someone killing off her rivals. And my heroine, using the opportunity to sneak into his court to steal a powerful relic.
 
The cream on the cake? Zemira doesn’t WANT to capture Keir’s attention. So of course, he wants the one girl he can’t have. It was one of the most enjoyable stories I’ve ever written. 

4. What is the hardest part of creating? 

I read something just recently about how your brain always wants to go flirt with the shiny, new idea beckoning just out of distance, when no, you actually need to finish THIS book. Jennifer Probst likened writing a book to being in a marriage—it was a fun affair when it was a new idea, but now you actually have to put in the work, go through the nitty gritty, maybe work through the not-so-fun stuff…. And this really hit me, because I think all writers suffer a little bit from this. So for me, the hardest part is definitely forcing myself to focus on one WIP, and not go off cheating with one or three others. 

I tend to use it as a reward now. If I hit my daily word goal, then I can go delve into that shiny, new idea. 

5. What is the best advice you have ever received? 

This is life advice from my mum: If you hit a brick wall in your life, then you need to figure out a way to go through it, around it, over it, under it, but don’t let it stop you when you really want something. 

6. And what is the best compliment you have received? 

I had a woman email me to say that her mother was dying of stage four cancer, and while she was in the palliative ward, she read one of my books out loud to her mother. It was a way to escape what she was going through, a way to bond with her mother, to bring some moments of happiness (that HEA) into both their lives. That really hit me, because this is why I write fantasy romance. I want to provide an escape for my readers. I want to deliver that HEA at the end, so it puts a smile on their faces. 

4. Tell me some of your current projects- Your works in progress, ideas, or any crazy, off the wall things.

I’m currently working on book three of my Dark Court Rising series. It’s a fae twist on the Hades/Persephone myth, in which my heroine is bartered away by her mother to an enemy prince for three months as part of a peace treaty. Her mother wants her to kill him, but the more Vi sees of Thiago, the more she can’t help falling for him…. And of course, there is a lot more to the story that she doesn’t realize….

 

Courting the Chippendale's dancers.

Last week, I did something I'd wanted to do since I was in high school:

I saw the Chippendales show!!

Me and the boys. Aren't they wonderful sports?

 The venue was at the Rio Casino in Las Vegas. What a group of talented men - they can sing, they can dance, they can make taking off a pair of gloves incredibly sexy.

I asked their dance captain if  I could interview him. Of course, the Chippendales are an internationally renowned dance troupe, and I'm a romance writer, but I really want to know their opinions on a number of subjects. Here are the questions I came up with before (and after) the show.

1. Chippendales has been at the forefront of women's sexual liberation since 1979. How have the shows and the fantasies changed? What remains the same?

2. What three pieces of advice would you give to men to be more confident in their sexuality?

3. Quite frankly, the men of Chippendales know how to work in front of a camera. Can you share the secrets of how to pose??

The Sunshine Award!

I was awarded the Sunshine Award by Maggie Jaimeson. This is what she had to say:

The Sunshine Award is a lovely sunny flower that bloggers give to other “bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere”.  I love your attitude about writing and life, and frequently find interesting things on your blog.  That's why I'm nominating you for the award.

*blushes!!*

there are rules....

(1) Thank the person who gave you the award in your blog post. 
Thank you, Maggie!

(2) Do the Q&A below

(3) Pass on the award to 10-12 deserving and inspiring bloggers, inform them and link to their blogs.

Here are the fun questions:

Favorite Color:  Green! It is also currently the color of my hair. I also love the color gold.

Favorite Animal: The hippopotamus, for they are deceptively strong and dangerous. They remind me to be courageous. And otters, because they remind me to not take things too seriously.

Favorite Number: 57. It makes me smile.

Favorite Non-alcoholic Drink: Water.

Facebook or Twitter:  I use both. I like Facebook a bit better because I prefer more in-depth conversations.

Your Passion: Connecting with people in meaningful ways (I really hate small talk. I'm bad at it).

Giving or getting presents: I embrace the power of 'and'. :) I

Favorite Day: Monday. Everything is fresh and full of possibilities.

Favorite Flowers: Daffodils. They are they heralds of hope and renewal. 

Thank you again, Maggie!

Women in the Arts: Maggie Jaimeson

I have known Maggie Jaimeson for many years before our New Year's Resolution blog tour at the beginning of the year, but I really enjoyed getting to know her better. So you bet I was excited when she said she would answer my interview questions!


What do you tell people you do?
I tell them I’m a novelist.  This is something new for me. Though I’ve been writing novels for publication for almost 10 years now, until recently I referred to myself as an Academic (professor, instructional designer, or administrator depending on the time in my career). In October 2012, I decided it was time to “retire” and do what I’ve wanted to do for 30 years—write full time.  I do occasionally take on an educational consulting gig when the write opportunity comes up. But now I consider myself a full time writer.
 

When did you know it was time to stop treating your art as a hobby and start it as a career?

  Prior to that I had written and sold short stories, the occasional poem or essay, off and on since the late 1970’s.  I did write two novels during that time, but never submitted them or felt they were good enough to submit.  But when I turned 50 I realized that if I was going to become a full-time writer I better get cracking, because who knows how much time I would have left in my life. Seven years later, with six novels completed, I sold my first novel to a small press. 

What are some of the aspects of your job that people don’t see? For example, most people don’t understand how much marketing is done by the authors themselves instead of a publisher, and most audience members don’t see how costumes and props are designed/chosen.

 

The thing I believe most people don’t see is the amount of editing, re-writing, re-thinking, re-editing that authors do.  Most people seem to think that an author writes a story from beginning to end then goes back over it once or twice and sends it out for publication.  I wish it were that easy.   

Once the first draft of a novel is completed, the writer usually goes through an editing process which may have her editing the entire book five, six, or even fifteen more times before it is published. I wrote a guest post on this titled How Deep Editing Changes Everything.

Name a few of your current projects. For example, conferences, publicity, design process, what you have for sale.

On the writing side, I am branching out to Young Adult fantasy. I have completed 1-1/2 books in a seven book series that I’ll start shopping when the second book is done. I’ll still be continuing my romance series with Sweetwater Canyon book 3, Heartstrings, and book 4, Two Voices, scheduled to publish this year. I’m also considering how to continue my two suspense books. I wrote them with series potential and I’m evaluating when and how I want to pursue that.

This question is a chance to meander or talk in greater depth if you’d like. Here you can talk about what hobbies you pursue, how you refresh your well of ideas, what you would recommend to other women interested in a career in the arts.

I do have three recommendations for women, and men, who are interested in a career in the arts. The first is, only pursue a career in the arts if you can’t do anything else. If you can find another career and still be happy, then don’t choose the arts as a career.  Keep it as a hobby. To pursue a career in the arts requires full commitment. This means it is something you HAVE to do, not just something you want to do. It means that doing anything else would be useless because you would always be thinking of your art and how to get back to it.

The second recommendation relates to the first. It is okay to choose a career other than the arts and then change your mind.  The type of commitment the arts require may be a commitment that you are unable to make when you are young. That was the case for me. Don’t worry, if it calls to you enough, you can still have that career later in life.  Choose art only when you can truly commit.

The final and most important recommendation is:  Believe in Yourself!  It is the hardest thing to do, but the most important. Whether it’s writing, painting, sculpture, dance, or theater, you are judged on the product you produce. For most people that critical judgment is the most difficult part of art because art, in my opinion, requires you to share something of yourself in a most intimate way. When we are judged on our art, we can’t help but take it personally.

To survive a career in the arts you must believe that what you are producing is the best it can possibly be at that moment when it’s released to the world.  This is not to say that what you produce is perfect.  It is also not to suggest that you should never listen to feedback.  But it is belief in yourself and your work—belief that your point-of-view is important—that allows you to accurately filter feedback and reject that which doesn’t fit with your direction. If you don’t believe in yourself and your point-of-view, you will fall into the quagmire of competing views that can only end in defeat.

A career in the arts is not easy. Most often it is not very financially rewarding. However, the intrinsic rewards are limitless. What you learn about yourself, and your relationship to the world beyond yourself, is never-ending. For me, that is the reason to pursue a career in the arts.  I will always be learning, and therefore I am living life to its fullest.


Find  Maggie on the web: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Women in the arts: Paty Jager

I met Paty Jager during our recent New Year's resolutions blog tour. I was immediately intrigued by Paty's courage and insistence that you eliminate nay-sayers and surround yourself with people who hold you accountable for your best self.

So I asked her to be one of my Women in the Arts interviewees. I was delighted when she said yes!

1. What do you tell other people you do? (such as author, teacher, designer)

I tell other people that I am an author. With fifteen published books I don’t have any qualms telling people what I do if they ask. But I don’t walk up to people and say, I’m an author, here are my bookmarks. It has to come out in conversation. Before I was published I told people I wrote. Which I did write novels and worked as a freelance reporter for local newspapers.  I also let people know that I ranch—cattle and hay are what my husband and I raise and sell.

2.     When did you know it was time to stop treating your art as a hobby and start it as a career?

When my kids were in high school and no longer required as much of my time I began thinking of writing as a career. Granted, it took me nearly ten years to finally have a book in my hand to show it wasn’t a hobby, and then six more years before I was making more than I was spending on ink, paper, computers, conferences, and books. 

3.     What are some of the aspects of your job that people don’t see? For example, most people don’t understand how much marketing is done by the authors themselves instead of a publisher, and most audience members don’t see how costumes and props are designed/chosen.

There are many aspects they don’t see that go into the book. One is the planning. Bringing the character to fruition in my head and then on paper. Sometimes this may require some research for a time period or profession. Using a trivial and sometimes not so trivial thing that sparks a premise and then researching and digging up the info to make the tidbit work for a believable premise. And once the story is written then, in the case that I self publish, there is surrounding myself with people who help me perfect the story and then the hours of formatting (I don’t always pay to have the books formatted) and promotion. Also coming up with the right cover that catches the eye and shows a bit of the story. And after all the writing, editing, formatting, and cover; I spend two thirds of my computer time doing online promotions. Blogs, like this. Forums with other authors to learn industry news and promote. Leaving comments on other blogs, tweeting, and using Facebook to give people a glimpse of the person behind the books. I also love to speak and give presentations at conferences. 

4.     Who inspired/inspires you on those inevitable rough days?

My inspiration for writing came from my love of reading as a child. Books took me to places I could never travel, taught me about people and places I may never see, and showed me there was more out there than a rural life. I began writing as a challenge to myself to see if I could write a story as good as the ones I read. And I found by writing my overactive imagination had a place to vent. When I have a rough day of writing, I think of all the books over the years that made me laugh, cry, and took me to another place and realize what I am doing can do the same for others. Then I shake off whatever is making it a rough day, be it, a bad review, an unkind remark, or just words not flowing and read one of those books that inspired me to read and write.

  

5.     Name a few of your current projects. For example, conferences, publicity, design process, what you have for sale.

Are you sure you really want to know? LOL I have a blog tour coming up for my latest release, Secrets of an Aztec Temple. The tour is an excerpt only tour and will be from March 4^th – 15^th. I’m giving a presentation on writing fiction at a high school career day. April, I’m teaching a workshop on Promotion for an editing business and a critique workshop for my local writing group.   

In June I’ll be at the RomCon in Colorado Springs, CO.  I’m putting together presentations for the talks and making swag to give away at the conference. The swag will be small tins filled with survival items like my heroine in the Isabella Mumphrey books.  I have fifteen books for sale, some strictly ebooks some both print and ebook. The books that I’m most excited about are my Spirit trilogy [ Spirit of the Mountain, Spirit of the Lake, Spirit of the Sky] that is set among the Nez Perce tribe of NE Oregon in the late 1700’s to the late 1800’s. The books have sibling Nez Perce spirits who find love among the mortals and work to keep the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) alive and free. 

 My latest books, Secrets of a Mayan Moon and Secrets of an Aztec Temple, are about Isabella Mumphrey, a brilliant anthropologist who specializes in Native American cultures. She has a “survival” vest she goes nowhere without. It has items in it that will get her out of nearly any situation. The hero is Augustino Constantine a Venezuelan who fled his homeland as a child with his family because of their opposition to the government. After Tino’s family died when their plane was shot down by a drug lord, he became a DEA agent and made it his mission to take out the drug lord. Their attraction is as hot as the steamy Guatemalan jungle where the meet.  I also have eight historical western romance books. The five book Halsey series is my favorite of the historical books. And I have two contemporary westerns, Perfectly Good Nanny and Bridled Heart, that were fun to write.

6.     This question is a chance to meander or talk in greater depth if you’d like. Here you can talk about what hobbies you pursue, how you refresh your well of ideas, what you would recommend to other women interested in a career in the arts.

I like to ride my horse and be outdoors as much as possible. I grew up on 200 acres at the base of the Wallowa Mountains. I spent nearly every summer day exploring the mountain side on my horse, Junebug. So replenishing my well comes from being outside and doing tasks that require little brain activity. 

My husband has learned to not worry when the tractor stops in the middle of the field. I’m not broke down. An idea or scene came to me and I’m writing it down. I always carry a pad and pen with me when I’m harrowing, raking, baling, or swathing. The monotonous back and forth lets my mind wander and I come up with some of the best scenes and ideas that way. I’ve also been known to get a good idea while painting. Not artistic painting, painting the outside of the house or rooms. I’ve always been a cup half full person and one who never backs down from a challenge so I say to anyone who has a penchant for any kind of art; painting, pottery, writing, drama, jewelry, whatever, start out learning the craft of the medium, gather supportive people who make you work to be your best not pat you on the back all the time and tell you you’re great, and then reach for the stars! You can’t succeed if you don’t try.

Places you can connect with Paty:

Website               Blog        Goodreads         Facebook        Twitter         Pinterest   

Thank you so much Paty!