INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:
1) Please share with us the link to your website and a list of your current books with purchase links.
Website
Books:
Isabella’s Dilemma
Guilty As Charged – Book 1 Bradford Sisters Trilogy
Coming Home
Christmas Collectibles – “A Picture Perfect Christmas”
2) How long have you been writing? What got you in to writing?
I have been writing for about 12 years now but didn’t have my first book published until July 17, 2011 (Isabella’s Dilemma).
I got into writing after I fell in love with reading romance novels.
3) What was your first published book? Looking back, is there anything you’d change about it?
Isabella’s Dilemma was my first book published. I don’t think I’d change anything about it. I Like the story as is.
4) What or Who has influenced your writing?
Definitely Nora Roberts. I love how she describes a scene.
5) Where do you get your ideas?
People ask me that all the time. The truth is ideas seem to pop into my head. Usually it starts with an idea for a scene. It could be the first scene in a story, a scene in what will end up being the middle of the story or an ending. I let it mull around in my head for a while and see if I can make a story out of it. If a story starts to gel in my head then I begin to write it.
6) What hinders your writing? (distractions? noise?)
My new puppy! We just adopted a 7 month old rescue dog from a local shelter. He takes most of my energy these days. Between him and my full time job, I can’t seem to get more than a couple of hours of writing in in one shot. No worries though, I still manage to get things accomplished and the puppy is a welcome addition to our family.
7) What genre are you most comfortable with? What would you like to explore?
I like contemporary romance and I want to get more into contemporary / paranormal romances. I have my first novella coming out on June 11th from Sugar and Spice Press. The book is entitled Visions.
8) Are you a by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of writer, or do you have to use an outline to put your collective thoughts into some semblance of common sense?
Definitely a “by the seat of my pants” type of writer! I tend to write whatever scene pops into my mind at the time I’m sitting down to write, although, I will say that I usually don’t start a story until I have mulled it around in my brain for a while and it’s had a chance to jell.
9) Which of your books is your favorite? Why?
I have two favorites:
Coming home, which was published by Melange-Books on April 23, 2011 because it was the first book contract I received and I think of it as the book that officially started my writing career (I got the contract about 18 months before the book was published).
Isabella’s Dilemma, which was published from Sugar and Spice Press on July 17, 2010, because it was the first book that I ever had published.
10) Do you incorporate some of yourself into your characters? Personality traits? Likes? Dislikes?
I think there is a little bit of me in all the heroines I create. Sometimes it’s the career they choose. Molly Quinn – from to Love and Trust Again,(available from Melange-Books January 2012) is a Mechanical Engineer. I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering and worked in that field years before I moved on to Project Management. Isabella Sheridan from Isabella’s Dilemma(currently available from Sugar and Spice Press) is in Marketing – That’s what I do now, although I’m not in advertising like she is. Christine Kincaid from Coming Home(currently available form Melange-Books) writes. So do I. Carly Monroe from Christmas Collectibles: “A Picture Perfect Christmas” (currently available from Melange-Books) does photography. I have an interest in photography and actually took classes when I was a kid.
11) What do you think is the perfect hero/heroine? Why?
I think the perfect heroine should have strength, determination, persistence and spirit. She should fight to overcome adversity, is a romantic at heart and believes that love triumphs over all odds.
12) Do you have any suggestions/comments for prospective authors?
Believe in yourself and in your writing. The road to publication is littered with rejection letters (or e-mails as the case may be). If you get rejected find another publisher and keep at it until you have a contract!
JUST FOR FUN:
1) Is there anywhere you’d like to visit? Why?
Australia and Italy to see what they’re like.
2) Do you have any obsessions? What are they?
Chocolate!
3) Do you have a crush on any actor/actress? Who?
Pierce Brosnon
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To find out more about Ms. Anna James and her writing, please visit her:
Website
Be sure to read the excerpt from Isabella's Dilemma below, and comment for a chance to win a pdf!
1 comment:
Isabella's Dilemma sounds like a good read. Nice interview. And I'm with you on chocolate.
smg5775@yahoo.com
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