RM: Writing romance. Seriously, it is writing romance but also creating worlds from my own mind and then having other people get lost in them too and say, "Oh, I just loved"…it's a great feeling.
What genres and authors would we find you reading when taking a break from your own writing?
RM: Suspense from James Patterson. Romance from Karen Marie Moning. Vamps from Lynsay Sands.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
RM: Getting my cat to stay off the keyboard. lol I've got this kitten who thinks he's my baby and when I'm trying to write he usually wants me to cuddle him and bite him on the ear.
Do you have travel when researching your books? If yes, where is the most interesting place you’ve visited?
RM: My books all take place in America and I've been to every one of the places I use as a backdrop in my books.
When writing your description of your hero/ine what feature do you start with? Eyes, age, hair color, etc?
RM: Hmm, I don't know. I've never really thought about it before. It seems like they are real people to me so I just know them as who they are (in my mind) and describe them as I would anyone else I know.
Is there anything special you do to get in the mood to write?
RM: Well, not really but lately, I wish there was. On June 18, 2010 our house burned to the ground and I joke that the only fatality was my muse. Except it's getting less and less of a joke and I'm beginning to wonder when I'm going to really write something worthwhile again.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
RM: That depends on what I'm writing. Grounded and Two For Hire had no plot, rhyme or reason. They just sort of came out and I went with it. I write humor on the cuff like that but the others are kind of plotted out, not on paper but in my head. I get an idea and roll it around and around and around, sometimes for weeks or even months before I have a real sense that I know the characters and story well enough to begin writing.
If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?
RM: I would first ask what you prefer because even though I write romance, the sub-genres are as varied as one author can get. I've got suspense, paranormal, historical, time travel, humor, shape shifters, fantasy and sometimes, that's all in the same book! For men I recommend Blood Line because it's more of a "manly" type story, which makes perfect sense because the idea came from a dream my truck driver husband had. The sequel to that, Ancient Blood also has male appeal.
What do you hope readers take with them after reading one of your stories?
RM: Enjoyment. I don't write to make a statement, to change anyone's view of life, or to instill some moral into their life. I write for the same reason I read.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
RM: Use condoms.
How long have you been a writer?
RM: I began writing as soon as I could make my letters. I told stories before that. I wrote my first novel in the eighth grade, followed by the requisite morose poetry and song lyrics as a teen, then bedtime stories for my children, and I've never stopped writing or progressing.
How much time did it take from writing your first book to having it published?
RM: That's a quirky story. The very first published work took about a month but it didn't work out with that publisher. I was new to being a published author, had no idea what to do next, and the publisher didn't help. About two years later, with more than a hundred WIP's in my files, I met Jill Noble of Noble Romance Publishing. NRP was new at the time and Jill had time to help me learn what came next. Not only that, she was kind enough to teach me the mechanics of writing for publication. I was very lucky to have met her and that she was so patient and had time to kill on her hands.
Did you have any other careers before devoting yourself to being a full-time writer?
RM: Ha! Quick list: LSI Assessor for Community Corrections, AOD counselor, drug court counselor, drug counselor in an all male prison on a unit with me the only female and 120 male inmates, cross country truck driver, bartender, waitress, cashier, floor sales person…
Do you write under more than one name? Why?
RM: I was going to say no, but that would be a little white lie. I have in the past, I wrote 3 books under another name because they were way off genre and I was just kind of feeling my way through something. And no, I'm not telling any more than that!
Are any of your characters based on real people or events?
RM: I think all my characters take on something of their personalities from actual people I've known but the only one that really intentionally did is in Closure. I killed off my ex's!
How would your friends describe you?
RM: My friend Candi lives in another state and thinks I'm awesome! My husband says I'm a painintheass.
What’s something fans would find fascinating about you?
RM: I really think I'm so normal I'm nearly mundane but most people seem to get a kick out of the fact I ride motorcycles, rescue dogs and have 12 kids and 33 grandkids.
What books or authors have most influenced your life?
RM: No book other than the Bible has influenced my life. I do enjoy reading James Patterson's Alex Cross series. I also enjoy the classics like The Great Gatsby, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Of Mice and Men, etc. Two of my very favorite books are Two Old Women and One Thousand White Women.
How do your family and/or friends feel about your book or writing venture in general?
RM: They couldn't care less. Seriously, it's something that keeps mom busy and none of them are the least bit impressed with me!
Where are you from?
RM: I was born and raised in northern CA but I've lived in eight states and I've been to all except Alaska. I've lived in SE OK for the past twenty years or so.
How do you come up with the titles?
RM: That's the worst part for me. My titles usually suck so bad the publisher's change them but recently I've gotten better at it.
Has your life changed significantly since becoming a published writer?
RM: Not one iota. I live in a very small town in SE OK in the Kiamichi Wilderness with the rivers and lakes nearby. No one here cares what I do and don't really even seem to know I'm a writer. When someone asks what I do and I say I'm a writer, I get this weird look from them. Then I say I'm an author, they grin and say okay. I don't know if the concept is just really strange or they don't believe me.
Do you work on one project at a time? Or do you multi-task?
RM: When I write I usually have three or four stories going at the same time, plus I'm doing promotions, chatting with my friends, Casey or Bryl, and talking on the phone. I guess you could say I multi-task.
When not writing, how do you relax?
RM: Um, I'm sorry, I don't think I understand the question.
Is there anything additional you would like to share with your readers?RM: I've had some pretty good luck and the last few months I saw a lot of releases. My personal favorite, Cross The Line came out December 2, 2010 from Solstice Publishing. This book was five years in the making. The research alone was several months. This book takes on prejudice, slavery, and interracial relationships just after the Civil War during a period of time known as The Indian Wars. The hero is a former slave, and the heroine is the daughter of a former plantation owner who meet because of an accident and then develop an on going relationship that becomes a romance. This book received a 5-cup review from Coffeetime Romance before its release.
In March 2011 One Good Man is coming from eXcessica publishing. In this one, the heroine is a BBW whose boyfriend runs off with her best friend, so she takes a job on one of the floating casinos in Biloxi, MS. She's through with men, and then her mother falls in love with her boss, her books come up short, the boss's hot and sexy son who only dates long-legged blondes is pursuing her, and to top it all off her sleezy ex shows up like nothing happened. Could anything else go wrong? Oh yeah!What song would best describe your life?
RM: Wild, Wild Life by The Talking Heads
If you could be a paranormal creature, which one would you be?
RM: Weremouse
What’s a guilty pleasure you have?
RM: All of them
What sound drives you crazy?
RM: The keyboard tapping
If you were a tool, what would people use you for?
RM: A couple of minutes at a time
What’s the perfect romantic evening?
RM: Answering these questions
You can erase one embarrassing experience from your past. What will it be?
RM: Wouldn't you like to know
If you came with a warning label, what would it say?
RM: Hot
A biography has been written about you. What do you think the title would be?
RM: Seriously?
What’s for dinner tonight?
RM: I don't know, what are you fixing?
What is sexier boxer or briefs?
RM: Skin
Who’s more fun, bad boys or perfect gentlemen and why?
RM: Perfect gentlemen who can have their inner bad boy coaxed out. Why? Cuz it's fun.
Where is the craziest place you’ve ever had sex? Or where is the craziest place you made your characters have sex?
RM: In Ancient Blood Ganda has sex in an Egyptian tomb. The graveyard is the closest to that I've ever come.
If you were a superhero, what special power would you have?
RM: Invisibility
What’s your favorite curse word?
RM: Crap.
If you could have three wishes granted, what would you wish for?
RM: My dogs wouldn't fart in my face at night
My cats would learn to use the toilet
My husband wouldn't fart in my face at night
If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would be the most essential for you?
RM: My dogs
My cats
My husband
If you could be a shapeshifter, what form would you take and why?
RM: Weremouse…small, sneaky and deadly, come on who wouldn't want to be that?
What’s number one on your list of things you hope to do before you die?
RM: Finish this interview
What is your favorite candy bar?
RM: Dark chocolate Milky Way-frozen
RM: Wild, Wild Life by The Talking Heads
If you could be a paranormal creature, which one would you be?
RM: Weremouse
What’s a guilty pleasure you have?
RM: All of them
What sound drives you crazy?
RM: The keyboard tapping
If you were a tool, what would people use you for?
RM: A couple of minutes at a time
What’s the perfect romantic evening?
RM: Answering these questions
You can erase one embarrassing experience from your past. What will it be?
RM: Wouldn't you like to know
If you came with a warning label, what would it say?
RM: Hot
A biography has been written about you. What do you think the title would be?
RM: Seriously?
What’s for dinner tonight?
RM: I don't know, what are you fixing?
What is sexier boxer or briefs?
RM: Skin
Who’s more fun, bad boys or perfect gentlemen and why?
RM: Perfect gentlemen who can have their inner bad boy coaxed out. Why? Cuz it's fun.
Where is the craziest place you’ve ever had sex? Or where is the craziest place you made your characters have sex?
RM: In Ancient Blood Ganda has sex in an Egyptian tomb. The graveyard is the closest to that I've ever come.
If you were a superhero, what special power would you have?
RM: Invisibility
What’s your favorite curse word?
RM: Crap.
If you could have three wishes granted, what would you wish for?
RM: My dogs wouldn't fart in my face at night
My cats would learn to use the toilet
My husband wouldn't fart in my face at night
If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would be the most essential for you?
RM: My dogs
My cats
My husband
If you could be a shapeshifter, what form would you take and why?
RM: Weremouse…small, sneaky and deadly, come on who wouldn't want to be that?
What’s number one on your list of things you hope to do before you die?
RM: Finish this interview
What is your favorite candy bar?
RM: Dark chocolate Milky Way-frozen
Hey Rie,
ReplyDeleteI stumbled upon this interview. The dark chocolate Milky Ways are awesome. I will have to try one frozen. Now you have me jonesing for one.
Love the cover for Cross the Line. Great premise for a romance.