My Interview with
Copied from Lynn Crain's newsletter in March 2007, Volume 1, Issue 3, Page 2 (until I can link to the newsletter).
This month Paula Calloway has decided to grace the pages of my humble newsletter. Paula writes very romantic fiction and her greatest claim is that she writes love scenes not sex scenes. And I can attest to that, her love scenes are caring, tender and meant to die for in you get my meaning. Check out her website as there a lots of interesting tidbits.
What’s your latest book? Tell us about it.
* You caught me in the middle. I just sent my beloved editor A Heart’s Chance: Tarot – Two of Swords. In the story, a seraph leaves the celestial realm to hunt for his soul mate and Cáel can’t resist Marija. The current book open on my desktop is A Cry in the Night: Tarot – The Tower. I always wondered what happens if the blood of a Bitten warps the sanity then who steps in to save the werewolf tested and driven by the lunacy of the moon. In this story, the vampires do their best to save the Were and Talen has his hands full with Liana in some delightful ways.
How long does it take you to write a book? A short story? A novella?
* From shortest to longest I wrote a 17K in a week, 38K in a month and 100K in forty-five days. Editing is twice that. ☺
Does readers comment influence you in any way?
* A reader can encourage or discourage, yes, but I learned long ago that all have their opinion. If constructive, I do listen, but if simply mean, I nod and pick and choose what I desire to work with. I have had a wonderful reader who put me in tears because she liked Dark Hope so much, she read it twice. I think such words are the sweetest a reader can give an author.
What is your schedule once you start writing a book?
* Do those exist? LOL I write when I can and what I can, but allow for interruptions from any direction. My beloved husband even bought me a laptop so when we go camping or on vacation I am never far from my writing. LOL
When did you write your first book?
* Written in late 1991-1993, The Cursed Hit was rejected by NY in 1996 & 1998 (genre not needed). Yes, I cried, but life goes on. Extasy Books accepted the manuscript, but I need to do some editing before my editor gets to it. My two shockers are as follows: written in 1999-2004, Zendara was accepted in 2004 and, written in 2003-2004, LaViolette was accepted in 2004.
Why did you decide to write romance?
* Because I love the genre. As an army wife I see a lot of relationships fail for various reasons and I hate to see a heart break. In romance, I can find an HEA.
What motivates you as far as your writing goes?
* Dreams, fantasy, imagination and hope. Anything is possible and I will never believe otherwise.
What do you do in your downtime?
* Run a house, tend a koi pond, feed two kids, talk to a lovebird, cuddle a dog, pet a guinea pig and chase the hubby. LOL
What does your significant other think about your writing?
* He’s encouraged me from day one when I said it was what I wanted to do. He’s even threatened to write a book to include how many times he’s whispered ideas in my ear only to have me rush to jot it down. He bought me a small IC recorder for me to ramble my ideas into in an effort to keep me from escaping the bed late at night. It worked. ☺
Does your family interrupt you often or do you have certain rules to keep them at bay?
* I live in a household of students so when they’re all in school, I write like mad in the peace and quiet of my home. During the summer, they always go outside for several hours at a time in order to give me some quiet writing time. Hey don’t know how much their consideration means to me, but there are time where they even push me to get busy☺
Do you have a favorite book or series that you have written?
* All of my books for various reasons. A Second Chance: Tarot – King of Cups because Tarmathian is a cross between my father and husband and, when cheated out of life, Anesya deserves a second chance. Dark Hope because Nicholas and Angelique overcome their curses and welcome their gifts. A Light in the Dark: Tarot – Four of Pentacles because light can overcome dark and love conquers all. Home Port: Tarot – Four of Wands because the truth will make itself known. A Heart’s Chance: Tarot – Two of Swords because paradise is what you make it. A Cry in the Night: Tarot – The Tower because love will survive. The LaViolette series follows a young woman and an extraordinary man through life as they learn. Each of the seven parts started out at 160K and I divided it into fourteen parts. BTW, Zendara, which follows a special young lady through a realm is now going to be a 3-4 part series. Is Tina reading this? Man I hope she doesn’t get that whip out. LOL
What do you have in store for us in the future?
* Whatever my imagination comes up with. Hubby said, “Ohhh, that’s just dangerous.” *evil grin*
Do you have a website or readers group?
* Website yes at http://paula-calloway.com/ and reader’s group no, but I wouldn’t mind one. I do have a reader who enjoys my work and looks forward to each of my books, but I’m not against having two more. I gave her an incomplete story one time and, boy, you should have seen the look I got. *shiver* Her pout was even more adorable. I just started a newsletter and it’s being difficult. *grrrr* Fortunately, paying and rewarding my webmaster is easy as I’m married to him. ☺
Tell us some more about yourself.
* I’m in my mid-forties. In 1981, I met a handsome man who became my best friend in 1982 and my husband in 1986. I have a beautiful daughter, born in 1991, who has more common sense than me at times. Her goals are beautiful, she disapproves of drinking, smoking and drugs and gets B’s and C’s. Logan, my very charming nephew in our custody, gets A’s and B’s and loves to cook. He did a great job with the Christmas cookies this year. I love my life and relationships.
What are your favorite things to do? Dessert? Season? Place in the world?
* Write, tend my pond, lead the occasional koi round-up in summer, roast hotdogs and marshmallows over the backyard fire pit, sit on my back porch and listen to the waterfalls or have an afternoon picnic at the table under my backyard cherry tree. My favorites are: animals – horses, tigers, dragons and unicorns, people –honest and honorable, food – oriental, Dessert… cheesecake and warm, chocolate chip cookies. Seasons… Winter if snowy, Autumn if colorful, Spring if cool and Summer if camping. Place… Always wanted to see Australia.
Who are some of your favorite authors to read?
* If I have to pick a particular author in which I can say I read more than two books to date, I have to say old-style Dara Joy, Johanna Lindsey and Christine Feehan. I’m still considered new to e-books, but I like the following styles of Lynn Crain and her elves, Viola Grace and KA M’Lady with their dragons, Fawn Lowery and Amy O’Connor with their werewolves, DJ Manly, Monica Martin, Tianna Xander with their vampires… there are so many more I don’t have room to list them!
Who has influenced your writing?
* My family and friends because they encourage me when I get down and you should hear the murmurs when I mention writer’s block.
Are you a member of any writing groups or critique groups?
* Not at this time.
Where do you see yourself in the next few years?
* Writing to my heart’s content, raising my family and loving life.
What is the hardest part of writing/the easiest for you?
* There are several. Hard is when a character clams up. *shakes head* I love telling their stories, but they do have their tirades. Eventually I get them talking again. Most difficult is the sex scenes. I don’t have a problem with a love scene, but the just-for-the-sake-of-sex scene is almost impossible because I thrive on the emotion between the couple in the scene. The easiest is when the character pours out their heart and the story flows. I love to read or write and feel the emotions in a story. If a something I’m writing makes me cry, I don’t stop the tears, I keep writing and let what I feel pour into the book. I love when a reader tells me they felt a scene.
BONUS: What question do you wish I had asked?
* I think you covered everything, but please feel free to ask again if you come across something interesting.