Chatting with Author Peggy Bird

Well, friends!  It seems like I’ve been on a month-long hiatus!  And I feel as if I’m still a bit jet-lagged from the holidays…is that a reasonable complaint?  Or am I simply inventing excuses?   *smile*    At any rate, I’m glad to be back. 

We have a special treat today.  I’m excited to be hosting Peggy Bird, a Crimson Romance sister, and a very prolific writer.   Although Peggy and I are only just beginning a friendship, I’ve watched her interactions with other writers for a while now and can honestly say she is a wonderful, tireless cheerleader and a never-ending source of light and inspiration.  I admit I haven’t had a chance to dive into her books yet, but they are definitely on my TBR list!  (If you’ve sampled them, please comment!)

Greetings, Peggy!  Thanks so much for stopping by.  It’s wonderful to host such an experienced writer as yourself!   I know my readers – like me – are anxious to find out a few intimate, intrusive things about you,  such as… what your workspace looks like…?

Actually, I have two desks and at the moment, one is tidy and one a mess.  On the neat one, I have my MacBook and a cup full of pens along with my latest manuscript in two piles—already edited and to-be-edited. So far, so good, right? Take a glance at the other desk that sits at right angles to my smaller one, the one I use when I handwrite. On it I have two iPads, one iPod, a stack of books to be mailed to my Bookmooch buddies, my “to-do” pile (unattended over the holidays, it apparently reproduced and created new baby “to-dos”), and my paper calendar. Oh, and my printer. And the new ink cartridges I just bought. And the box for the new iPad. And the labeler my husband just returned.  This week’s task? Clean it all up, of course.

I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one who ‘foundered’ a bit over the holly-days.  You’ve helped my spirits already!  Now, let’s see, one MacBook, two iPads, one iPod, and a labeler.  Sounds like you’re a die-hard techie.  I love it!

Can you share a favorite quote?

One of my favorite writing-related quotes is from E. L. Doctorow: “Writing is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as the headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”

Brilliant!  (And mighty encouraging, too.)   Peggy, it’s a given that you write Romance, but do you dabble in other genres?  Do you write other things besides novels?

I have written a mystery that got very good rejections from agents and editors and I have a half-finished YA (Young Adult) historical I co-wrote with a writing buddy. Both are buried someplace in my filing cabinet. I have had memoir pieces published in a dozen or more anthologies, stories in several children’s magazines and three plays produced locally, one in a grade school and two as scripts for puppets in the Kids on the Block Awareness program.

Sounds like you are equally at home in many genres.  That’s great!  I’m sure that adds a lot of diversity and range to your work.  And I love the ‘very good rejections’ comment.  Often an acceptance comes right on the heels of an encouraging rejection.   

Tell me, how much of your books are based on real life?

My latest book has a number of elements of my real life. Together Again is the story of Margo Keyes, a woman born and raised in Philadelphia who moves to Portland, Oregon and never wants to leave. We share a birthplace, an addiction to sticky buns from the Reading Terminal Market and a love for Portland and the Columbia River Gorge. That’s where it stops, however. I didn’t marry my childhood friend, am not a lawyer and have never, to the best of my knowledge, met a Russian mobster.

That’s probably a blessing!  What books would you say have influenced your life most?

For my novel writing, two books I read when I was young from an old box of my mother’s books were probably formative—one was Forever Amber, the other was a British romance, The Sun and the Sea. I changed the way I looked at the world after I read Guns, Germs and Steel and The Feminine Mystique. And I’m a great admirer of/believer in Karen Armstrong’s books, particularly A History of God.

What are your current projects? Can you share a little here?

I can just about see the end of my six-book series, Second Chances. The third book, Together Again, will be released on January 14^th. The fourth book is under contract with Crimson Romance. Book #5 is in the process of final editing before submission to Crimson (see question re: what’s on your workspace?) The first draft of the final book, number six, is finished. The book I’m editing is Believing Again which is, of course, a romance, but it is also the story of two people who have lost faith—in themselves, in their vocations or their loved ones. When they meet, their attraction calls into question their cynicism about life and love. It may be my favorite of the series. But then, I always say that about the one I’m working on.

You are definitely a brave soul.  A six-book series!  Wow.  Sounds like a project that keeps you hopping!  Thinking back, what do you think was the hardest part of writing your latest book?

 

I just finished a blog post about how hard the research was for Together Again. The story is set in Philadelphia, where both Margo, the heroine, and I were born, and Portland, where I’ve lived for most of my adult life and where Margo now lives. I know Portland’s quirks and pretensions quite well. But I haven’t lived in Philly for some time. So I did lots of research online. Took me hours. Not because the subjects were arcane or obscure. But because I kept getting sucked into the vortex that is the Internet, bouncing from one shiny object that distracted my attention to another. To justify the time I spent, I’d have to set at least two other books there!

I can so relate!  I always think of the Chip and Dale cartoons…wasn’t it Dale who was always distracted by the shiny, sparkly objects?  That’s definitely a danger in our line of work!  *smile*

I realize you’re a prolific writer.  Have you ever hated something you’ve written?

On a daily basis, some weeks, it goes with the territory. Some days, if I wind up with one decent sentence, I’m lucky. On the other hand, sometimes scenes I delete because I think they suck turn out to be not so bad after all six months down the line and, with a little revision, can be used in something else I’m writing. And I’d bet I’m not the only writer who, at a public reading of his/her work, changes a word or two because he/she realizes how much better it would be if THAT word was just different.

I agree.  I’ve learned not to permanently delete any passages.  It’s best to let everything ‘percolate’!

What was your last Tweet, Peggy?

I have resisted Twitter because I couldn’t handle the idea of Peggy Bird tweeting. However, I finally caved. I’m not as addicted to it as I am to Facebook and Pinterest—yet—but I can feel it coming. My last tweet was to RT (re-tweet) an announcement about Crimson Romance sister Synithia William’s newly released book Worth the Wait.

One of the things I’ve learned is that a truly blessed writer has a great support system.  Who makes up Peggy Bird’s support system?  What do you do when the support isn’t there?

I have the most amazing group of women friends anyone has ever been blessed with. Some of the women I’ve known for decades, others for only a few years. Some I’ve lived next door to, some I’ve worked with, others I’ve met through my art interests. In addition, my husband and I have three adult daughters between us who are as close to me as friends. I have no idea what I’d do without this fabulous group of females. I’m lucky enough never to have had that experience. They can interpret my emails and Facebook posts to know when I need cheering up or a celebration—and they provide it.  They show up for readings, launch parties, birthdays, holidays or just because. We hash over books, problems, music, politics, theater, children, and health on a regular basis, in person, on the phone or electronically.  

That is awesome.  Sounds like you know just exactly how lucky you are! 

Now, Peggy, I have some fun and unusual questions for you. 

 

Please fill in the blanks: 

If my closest friends could describe me they’d say I was smart and well read.

Don’t be surprised to find me bragging about my perfect grandchildren.

If I had a super power, it would be: the ability to make peace between people and nations.

It’s the simple things that mean the most! A “small” thing that I adore is: chocolate.

Most days I smell like clean clothes.

When I grow up, I’m going to be surprised.

You will never, EVER find me willingly in a grocery store.  Except to buy more chocolate.

I want to send a Shout Out to someone special. My life is more extraordinary because of all the women friends who always have my back.

And finally, for your fans – let’s leave our readers with ways to get in touch…

 Find Peggy Here:

 

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Link to order Together Again:        Amazon

Thanks so much for spending time with us Peggy, and for patiently answering our questions.  You’ve been a great sport!  Good luck with your series!   --

 

 

***

 

 

An Interview with Romance Author Becky Lower!

Hurray!

Today, we have romance author Becky Lower visiting with us.  Thanks for stopping by, Becky!  I have lots of questions for you – let’s get to them.  First of all, please tell our readers three interesting things about you that they might not know.

I am single and have never been married…I liked to play too much to settle down.

I know how to handle a chain saw.

I am an amateur interior decorator.

Wow~ Those are certainly interesting facts!   I almost need to ask about all three, but I’ll try to stay focused. *smile*  So tell me what inspired you to write your first book?

It was the fulfillment of a life-long ambition. I had just finished orchestrating a designer show-house as a fundraiser for a local arts council. I worked with fourteen different designers who each took a room and put his/her spin on it. I was fascinated by the process, so I decided to write a book about a woman who takes on an old Victorian home and renovates it to be her showroom and living quarters. After a few attempts to interest an editor, I shoved it under the bed and moved on.

Do you feel you have a specific writing style or genre? 

With my historical novels, I like to take ordinary people and plunk them into events that were happening in their day--some big, like the wagon train migration, some small, like the introduction of the silk top hat and the subsequent collapse of the beaver pelt industry. Then, after I surround my characters with these events, I consider how they would react by asking myself how I would respond if placed in the same situation.

If I ran into a young black woman with a baby in an alley, and knew she was being tailed by slave mongers who wanted to return her to her plantation, would I be able to turn my back on her and walk away? Then, I transfer my response to that of my character.

I like to take a break from the heavy research involved in writing historicals by having a line of contemporary books. The baby-boomers of this world are about to rebel against every heroine being in her twenties, so my books are about the over-40 woman who is ready to move into a new phase of her life. The first one, Blame It On The Brontes, will be released in the spring by Soul Mate Publishing.

How do you come up with your titles?

The first book in the historical series, The Reluctant Debutante, was a collaborative effort between me and my best friend. When Crimson said they needed a better title for it, she and I just kept bouncing ideas off one another and came up with the title. The very next day, another person, from my critique group, suggested the very same title, so I figured it was a perfect choice. The Abolitionist's Secret was my own creation -- not the first title I had for the book, but I think it fits both Crimson's style and the book. For the contemporary, I had the title banging around in my head for a couple years, and tried several times to write a story connected to it, but could never get it to gel until I created the fractious and contentious Bronson sisters.


Where do you get your ideas?

My ideas come from all over the place. The Cotillion series was prompted by my love for Regencies, but I didn't want to have to learn about English royalty. Too time-consuming.  I was watching ice skating on television one night, and the commentator was filling in the backstory on one of the lovely young ladies. He said she was planning her debutante ball, which would take place at the end of her skating season. That got me to thinking about the Debutante balls as part of American culture, and the series was on its way.

For my contemporary book, my sister drug me to a class on jewelry-making using sea glass, or ‘beach glass’, as it's referred to in Ohio. The instructor told us a poignant story about her love of collecting the glass and how it bound her family together, and I was inspired -- not to make jewelry but to write about how sea glass could bind a family together.


Do you mind telling us what book you’re reading now?  What rating would you give it?

I'm struggling to get through Gone Girl right now. As my sister says, I should read these best-sellers to see what they're doing right, but I am to the point where I'm just skimming through it and can't wait for it to end. The writing is fine, but I don't care enough about either character to want to know if they live or die. I felt the same way about Fifty Shades of Grey. Hated the book, and only got one-third of the way through the first one before I gave up on it. So, to answer my sister's question of what these authors are doing right, I'd have to say they are hiring great publicists.

What are your current projects?  Can you share a little of that here?

My next book to be published will be the third book in the Cotillion Ball series. It's about Basil Fitzpatrick, one of the brothers in this large family, and I truly enjoyed writing it, since it was written from his perspective. That's the first book I've written from a man's point of view, and I enjoyed sitting down every day and working on it. It's due for release in May, 2013. I just began working on Book 4, which is all about Jasmine, the other twin. It's a bit unusual for me, too, since she's the one who needs to change, not the man. I can't wait to see how it unfolds.


Do you have any advice for other writers?

Take classes on craft, enter contests, and join a critique group. Don't be afraid to let others take a look at what you're working on. Oh, and develop a thick skin.

 

Do you write an outline before every book ?  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I started off being a full-blown pantser, but I kept painting my characters into corners from which there was no escape. I kept hearing about Blake Snyder's book on plotting called Save The Cat. It has a simple, 15-beat outline, where you fill in the major events in your story. It's a very loose outline, but it allowed me to work the kinks out before I began to put words on the screen. I used it for the first time in my story about Basil. I outlined it and then put the outline away. Didn't look at it once as I wrote. But because I had the major points already in my head, I was able to write quickly, and get it done. I went back after I was finished and compared the outline to the actual story, and it was really close. So, I'll probably be a loose plotter from now on. I kind of like that moniker.

Okay, Becky, if you were marooned on a deserted island and could have only one of your heroes with you, which one would you choose and why?

Sigh. It would have to be Joseph, the hero from my first book in the Cotillion series. When I was a teenager, I dreamed about finding a strong, tall, muscle-bound Indian in my backyard and falling in love. Obviously, since I'm still single, it hasn't happened yet. And now that I've created my ideal man in Joseph, something tells me it's not ever going to happen.

Okay, now for some fun stuff.  Please fill in the blanks:

I love pizza with pepperoni and bacon--not the Canadian kind but real, cholesterol-laden bacon.

I'm always ready for a night at the movies.

When I'm alone, I cuddle with my dog by the fire.

You'd never be able to tell, but  I would love to be able to tap dance.

If I had a halo it would be bent.

If I could go back in time  I'd be an outlaw.

I can never grow up because that would be boring.

 

Finally, where can fans find you?

Website: http://www.beckylowerauthor.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/becky.lower

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/BeckyLower1

Blog: http://beckylowerauthor.blogspot.com

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/authorbeckyl/

To order the book:  Keep checking Amazon.com. The Abolitionist's Secret should be available for pre-orders by November 26.

Thanks so much for being with us, Becky!  Good luck to you and many sales! 

Okay, now it's YOUR turn to ask Becky anything you want!  Use the comment section and have fun!  *smile*

 

Author Visit: ASHLYN MATHEWS

 

I'm excited to share something new with you today.  I'm interviewing Ashlyn Mathews!  She's a sister author at Crimson Romance and she's agreed to take a minute and answer some questions for us today!  She has two books, one of which, Shadow Watcher, is available now.  The other, If Only, will be available in December.  And, of course, she's busy at work on another!  (Or two!)

Hi Ashlyn!  It's great to have you with us today!

Hi Robyn, thank you for having me on your blog.  I feel special to be your first guest J.

Please make yourself comfortable.  Then, if you will, tell us three interesting things about you.

I’m actually a very boring person, so here goes. I love to watch Japanese Anime. In a past life, I was an ER/trauma nurse. I absolutely love roses, and my favorite is the Blue Girl.

What is one of your favorite quotes?

“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise,” by Victor Hugo from Les Miserables.  This is one of my favorite quotes because when I rewrote and revised Shadow Watcher, the quote spoke to me. No matter how much our characters misbehave or give us the silent treatment, the dark moments do end and a new day begins.  BTW, this works in my non-writing life too, lol.

It's funny how our characters can come to life in our minds, isn't it - and take on certain irritating characteristics!

What  do you think is the best and worst part of being a writer?

The best part is all the stories in my head that I would love to put on paper. The worst part? Not having the time to write. I have four active young boys and a very involved husband plus a full-time job. Our weekends are filled with soccer games while week days are practices and school work.

Sounds like you are are busy lady!

Do you have a favorite resource site you can share?

I wouldn’t say a site, but my two RWA (Romance Writers of America) chapter groups, the Greater Seattle RWA and Rose City RWA’s yahoo loops, are my favorite resources. They’ve been a wealth of information. That’s how I found my current publisher, Crimson Romance!

Do you have a specific writing style or genre?

Currently I write paranormal and contemporary romance. I love to world-build and stretch my imagination with paranormals while contemporary gives me an outlet for the angst I went through during my high school years – the insecurities, wondering if I’d find the right guy, searching for who or what I wanted to be, and learning how to live and interact in the real world. That’s why the heroines in my contemporaries will be in their early twenties.

Do you write other things besides novels?

Aside from posts on my blog, no.

How did you come up with your title?

Shadow Watcher is the name of the supernatural fighters in my paranormal romance. Since this is the first book in a series, I felt the title was appropriate to introduce the series.  Each book will have a different couple searching for their happily-ever-after while the world-building from the previous book remains the same.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

My message for Shadow Watcher is that greater good should prevail, even over love, when one is born to protect the weak from the strong ,while a compromise between parties can lead to a happily-ever-after.  In the end, my heroine chooses to stick with her duty to protect humans from demons for the greater good of mankind while my hero chooses to compromise. By compromising, he gets his woman (my stubborn, noble heroine), and they live happily-ever-after.

That sounds awesome!

What are your current projects?  Can you share a little of those here?

My current project is the second book in my Shadow Watcher series. It’s entitled 'Echo UnMarked' and is still in the early stages. I’ll also be starting on another contemporary novella as part of my Willowbrook (a small fictional town in Oregon) series.

Here's a strange question.  If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

I’d make my contemporary novella, If Only, longer and with more hot sex scenes. If Only releases December 3^rd.  An excerpt is available on my blog along with a piece from 'Echo UnMarked'.

Last question.  There will be a lot of writers reading this.  Do you have any advice for them?

My advice is to never doubt yourself or let others’ doubts in you get you down. Surround yourself with people who have your best interests at heart, and if you work hard enough and seek the answers rather than waiting for the answers to come to you, then you will realize your dreams of becoming an author.


Thanks so much for stopping by, Ashlyn!  If people want more information, where should they look?

 

Feel free to stalk me at the following sites. J

Blog: www.ashlynmathews.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ashlynmathewsauthor

Twitter: @ashlynmathews

I’m also on Pinterest and Goodreads. On Pinterest, check out my Happily Ever After models. The men and women pinned are my inspiration for my characters. I also have two boards titled Fairy Tales and Fast Rides. The title says it all .

Thank you Robyn!

Have a great day, Ashlyn!  Happy writing -- and much success with all of your books! 

robyn

 

~ Ashlyn is currently hosting a contest for

FREE BOOKS on her blog! ~

** Check it out! **

 

***