RITA finalists:
Linda Goodnight
Karen Harter
Pamela Tracy
Irene Hannon
Amy Wallace
Tamara Leigh
Susan May Warren
Cindy Woodsmall

For this week’s RITA finalist I’m sharing an interview with Pamela Tracy. Her book Pursuit of Justice is a Rita finalist.

PAMELA TRACY started writing at age twelve (A very bad teen romance featuring David Cassidy from the Partridge Family).  Later, she honed her writing skills while earning a BA in Journalism at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas (And wrote a very bad science fiction novel that didn’t feature David Cassidy.) Pamela sold her first romance It Only Takes A Spark to Barbour in 1999. Her next book Daddy for Keeps is out from Harlequin’s Steeple Hill Romance line in January of 2009.  Since then she’s written a variety (sixteen made it to book shelves; Four are covered with cat hair and still hiding under the bed) of novels, novellas, and prayer books. 

Here’s Pamela Tracy!

1.  Describe your RITA phone call.

Of all my friends who entered, I think I expected it the least. Lisa Mondello mentioned to me that Tuesday morning that “Calls are going out.” I promptly forgot. When my cell phone rang at 10:25, I was in my office five minutes away from teaching a comp class. When Jill St. John said, “I’m calling from RWA…” My first thought was, “Oh, the Desert Rose chapter is having a contest next weekend. They must have a question.” Then, she said, “Your book, Pursuit of Justice, is a RITA® finalist.”
I about fell over. I did make a lot of noise (apparently, according to my coworkers, a lot of noise). And, promptly I made three quick phone calls: best friend, editor, and agent. Then I went off to teach a class to 24 students who’d never heard of the RITA®.

2. Tell us about the RITA book and why you think it stood out it the crowd.

Pursuit of Justice felt like a different book right from the beginning.  I started writing it, oh, eight years ago.  It was before baby, before marriage, I think I started it between anthologies.  See, there was like a six book span where I wasn’t writing novels, instead I was writing – making that selling – novellas and prayer books.  The 80 pages novellas kept having suspense elements and I kept muttering “Arg, if I could only have 200 more pages, I could ‘really’ make this a suspense.”  Well, during that mind thought, Rosa’s (she’s the heroine) story tapped me on the shoulder.  Rosa’s a wonderful gal.  She tapped me, complete!  I knew the beginning, middle, and end.  That usually doesn’t happen.  Of course, I got to about chapter two of her book, and I think I sold a prayer book.  Once I finished the prayer book, I made it to chapter five of Rosa’s book, and then I sold another anthology.  Every time I started to work on Rosa, I’d sell something else. Finally, I got an agent and he sold Rosa while she was only about 75% complete.  Rosa finally got closure.  What makes this book stands out is it was eight years in the making, and the whole time I was learning craft via the other sells.  Boy, was Pursuit of Justice developed. 

3. How many books have you written? 

Four under the bed
Sixteen on the shelves
One in progress

4. Do you have a favorite?

Of course!  Pursuit of Justice!  First, it’s a RITA finalist (pinch, pinch)  Plus, not only did the book and her characters keep me company for eight years, but Rosa then asked her friends if they’d like books too.  Ruth and Mary both said yes.  There were two more books published by Love Inspired Suspense: The Price of Redemption and Broken Lullaby.

5. Describe your writing process.

I have an old calendar and a spiral notebook by my computer.  I usually roll out of bed about 5:30 a.m. Blurry eyed, I head to my computer.  On the calendar, I keep track of the timeline.  For example, Rosa was set in winter, so I decided on the month, and then in my calendar, I chose a day and wrote it down for her to get stopped for speeding by the cops.  I tend to have my romances start and stop within days.  Nope, don’t like that.  Keeping the calendar helps me give the romance time to develop.  The notebook has three columns and usually about fourteen rows.  I keep track of every chapter – writing down what happens to her in column one, what happens to them in column two, and what happens to him in column three.  Each row, of course, is a chapter.  I’m a SOTPs writer.  I’m working on a suspense called Lost Identity right now. I’m on chapter six.  So, rows 1 – 5 are pretty filled.  I kept track of names, happenings, etc.  Rows 6-14 are sparse.  I’ve jotted down ideas (in pencil so I can move them).  I’ve also figured out that this will not be a 14 chapter book, so I’ve X’d out rows 13 and 14 and moved what few scribbles I have to other rows/ chapters. I have a toddler and a full time job, so I aim for three pages a day. In a current calendar, starting with Monday, I’ll write 103 – 106.  On Tuesday, I’ll write 106 – 109.  On Wednesday, I’ll write 109 – 112.  You get the idea.  Now, I ‘really’ aim to get those pages done.  If I get more, I adjust my numbers.  If I get less, then the next day I REALLY have to work.  I don’t put number goals for the weekend.  Anything I write on Saturday and Sunday is a gift.       

6.  When did you decide to become a writer and why Christian fiction?

I decided to become a writer as a toddler.  I’d scribble and then take the scribbles to my dad and demand he tell me the story I just wrote.  He’d make up a story.  Um, he was an old army man, currently a lumberyard manager.  I’m pretty sure his stories were scary (LOL! Which is probably why I write suspense and have dead bodies in my books).  I think what happened next is I fell in love with David Cassidy (although it was Bobby Sherman who answered my fan letter) and wrote stories about him.  Fast forward a few years and you have my girlfriends and I  making up stories about the boys we’d met at Skateland (I still remember those boys’ names).  Finally, I started writing stories in my notebook.  I wrote a secret baby – about the time a fifteen year old friend had a baby.  I wrote an historical – about the time I read my first romances (Hmmm, shall I admit I cut my teeth on Rosemary Rogers, Patricia Mathews, and Jennifer Wilde?)

I REALLY decided to become a writer in the weeks after my mother died.  I’d told her I was going to be a writer.  I purchased a computer from Montgomery Wards and set it up on a card table in my bedroom.  I wrote a 300 page, single spaced, (not yet completed) Star Trek TNG.  Then, I took a creative writing class at a local college and changed to romance and wrote four books (the before mentioned four that are under the bed).  As to why Christian fiction…  Well, I am a Christian and God pretty much nudged me in the right direction.    

7.  Tell us about your next or upcoming projects.

My first Love Inspired romance Daddy for Keeps comes out in January of 2009.  I have a web master heroine and a bull rider hero.  It’s a secret baby (I’ve come a long way since age 15 LOL) Then, I’m working on a three book suspense series called Seeking the Lost about three sisters.  It hasn’t sold – yet.

8. Do you have any advice for unpublished writers?

Read, read, read.  Write, write, write.  Read in the genre you think you’ll write in.  Don’t expect it to happen overnight.  Never give up.  If you write a page a day, you’ll have a novel in a year.  Go to workshops, conferences, make writing friends.

Thanks for having me!
www.pamelakayetracy.com  http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com/pa

RITA finalists:
Linda Goodnight
Karen Harter
Pamela Tracy
Irene Hannon
Amy Wallace
Tamara Leigh
Susan May Warren
Cindy Woodsmall

For this week’s RITA finalist I’m sharing an interview with Irene Hannon. To recap: in March Romance Writers of America announced their RITA finalist. It is a huge honor for each of us who made it to this round, so once a week for the next couple of months I’ll share an interview by each of the eight RITA finalists in the Inspirational division.

Irene Hannon—Rainbow’s End

Irene Hannon writes both romance and romantic suspense and is the author of more than 25 novels. Her books have been honored with a RITA Award, the Holt Medallion and a Reviewer’s Choice Award from Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine. More than 1 million copies of her novels have been sold worldwide. A former corporate communications executive with a Fortune 500 company, she now writes full-time for both Steeple Hill and Revell. She and her husband live in Missouri.

Here’s Irene Hannon!              

1.  Describe your RITA phone call.
I got the call early in the morning, not long after I sat down at my computer to write. Needless to say, it was VERY difficult to concentrate after that! I did manage to stick with my work in progress all day—after calling a few friends and family members to share the news, of course. But the next morning I took a couple of hours off and treated myself to Starbucks!

2.  Tell us about the RITA book and why you think it stood out in the crowd.
There is a lyrical quality to Rainbow’s End that may have appealed to the judges. The beautiful but remote setting was also an integral element of the story, with the physical isolation acting as a metaphor for the emotional isolation of the three main characters. That may have helped make the book stand out, too.

But bottom line, I think the deeply emotional story is what vaulted this book to the finalist list. The book is about two lonely people—a shattered man and a disfigured woman—who join forces to help a traumatized little boy. Along they way, they reconnect with life and find healing, hope and love. It’s a very uplifting, inspiring story, and based on the incredible reader response, it touched a lot of hearts.

3.   How many books have you written?
My 25th book was published in May 2008, and I’m under contract for eight more with two different publishers.

4.   Do you have a favorite?
That’s like asking a mother to pick her favorite child! I like all my books. I honestly can’t single any one out; they’re all special in their own way. I do have to say, though, that I’m extremely excited about my upcoming suspense debut, and I do think the three books in my suspense series are among the best I’ve written.

5.   Describe your writing process.
I’ve been very blessed for the past 4½ years to be able to write full-time after a long career in the corporate world, where I juggled my day job with my writing. Now, I spend every weekday (and some weekends) writing. I’m generally at my desk by eight or eight-thirty and I begin by polishing the pages I wrote the day before. Then it’s on to new writing. I aim for 10 good, new pages a day. I do work from an outline, though these have become less specific through the years.

If I’m in the plotting stage of a book, I may spend a lot of time researching or simply sitting around in my office or garden staring into space. It’s sometimes hard during those phases to convince people I’m actually working!

6.  When did you decide to become a writer and why Christian  fiction?
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t write. In fact, I was one of the winners in a complete-the-story-contest for a national children’s magazine when I was 10, so I’ve been in print for a long time! My first novel was published in 1985 with Thomas Nelson, which had just started a line of inspirational romances. However, they were about 10 years ahead of their time and the line folded.

I then wrote six books for Avalon before I connected with Steeple Hill. Avalon isn’t a Christian publisher, but it does focus on books with very wholesome,  traditional values. I write Christian fiction because it fits my world view and because I sincerely believe it’s possible to tell a compelling, entertaining story without explicit sex, profanity or gratuitous violence.

7.  Tell us about your next or upcoming projects.
I have a number of exciting projects in the works.

First, I have a three-book FBI-based suspense series debuting with Revell in February 2009 called “Heroes of Quantico.” I have just received an absolutely glowing endorsement for the first book, AGAINST ALL ODDS, from the master of inspirational romantic suspense, Dee Henderson, so I’m VERY excited about this new venture. The first book revolves around a member of the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team, who is assigned to protect the daughter of a diplomat engaged in a sensitive hostage situation in the Middle East. It’s very fast-paced and exciting!

I also have a new book coming out from Steeple Love Inspired in February 2008. (That will be a first for me—two new books in one month!) APPRENTICE FATHER is about a man wary of commitments who finds himself responsible for two emotionally fragile children when his sister dies in a domestic violence incident. Help comes in the form of a physically handicapped woman whose deep, abiding faith turns off the anti-religion hero, but whose kind and loving ways begin to melt the ice around his heart..

Then, in May 2009, I’ll launch a new series with Steeple Hill called “Lighthouse Lane.” The books are all set on Nantucket, and I’m deep into writing those at the moment.

You can find out more about my upcoming books at www.irenehannon.com

8.  Do you have any advice for unpublished writers?
Read a lot. Learn the basics. Write, write, write. Join a group like Romance Writers of America. Submit to contests and read the feedback with an open mind. Attend conferences. Network. And never, ever give up! I had written three books before I sold my first novel. I’m glad I persisted!

We’re having a contest over the next few days for an autographed copy of Controlling Interests, a new novel by Elizabeth White!

Let’s meet Beth!

There were three of us. All authors. All in need of a home to stay in during an overnight trip for a book signing in Mobile, Alabama. For a list a reasons, a hotel could be arranged for but it wasn’t the best answer for this particular event.

That’s when the opportunity to meet Beth White came up. I met Beth after she’d invited all three of us to stay in her home. She then arranged a spectacular evening with food, delicious cider, and a welcoming group of readers to meet us the evening we arrived. The next day, during the book signing and teaching time, Beth continued to have friends of hers come in and meet us.

Now that’s a knack for hospitality! That knack for doing things with grace and style is clearly seen in her writing. Since she has a new book, CONTROLLING INTEREST, coming out JUNE 1, 2008, let’s sneak a peek into her life.

CW: While working on my three-book novel, I’ve done some very unexpected things in the name of research. Beth, what’s the craziest thing you ever did in the name of research?

You mean besides get married?? JUST KIDDING! Once when I was working on “The Trouble With Tommy,” I went on a coon hunt with my uncle and my son. I did not carry a gun–but my son did. He was about fourteen at the time and had never been hunting before. You coon hunt at night, so we all wore these helmet like hardhats with headlights on the front. We put the dogs in their carrier on the back of the four-wheeler and they’re barking their heads off as we drive through the woods. Finally we stop and let the dogs out and follow them, listening for the change in their baying. When a dog trees a raccoon it’s very distinct. Even an ignoramus like me can hear it. So my son was so excited he could hardly hold onto the bullets as he loaded them in the gun. I won’t go into the details, but it was hilarious and gross and totally a South Mississippi experience.

CW: Who’s your favorite author?

Beth: I have lots of favorites, but I’ve always loved Max Brand. His real name was Frederick Faust–and he wrote totally campy westerns back in the 1920’s and 30’s. In fact he created Destry of Destry Rides Again and Dr. Kildare! His heroes were daring and funny, and he’s the only male writer I know who could consistently do a decent romance. You gotta check him out!

CW: I hear you’re in grad school at the moment. What gives?

Beth: I had this idea that I wanted to teach college writing instead of middle school language arts. And I loathe education courses, so the only option was an English/Creative Writing program. It’s actually been a lot of fun. I’m taking a poetry writing workshop this semester, which I totally suck at, but it scratches a creative itch I didn’t even know I had. I should graduate with my masters at the end of the summer–I have one more course, screenwriting, to take. Spielberg look out!
CW: I love that response! As you remember, I fell in love with your home when visiting you. The view and aura just seem to lend itself to creativity. Do you have a favorite season that sparks your imagination more than other seasons?

Beth: I definitely love the springtime view out my family room window. My azaleas are this brilliant flamingo pink, and the dogwoods and bridal wreath look like lace. The only problem is…the pollen drives me crazy! I sneeze constantly during March and April.
CW: As authors, something has to really tug at us to cause us to spend months with proverbial chains to our computers. What grabbed your interest to write this book?

Well, I wanted to write a sequel to OFF THE RECORD, using private detective Matt Hogan as my new hero. Which brought to mind one of my favorite TV shows from the 80’s, Moonlighting. So my son and my husband and I did a little brainstorming about Matt’s agency being invaded by a rich rookie “girl” detective–and Natalie Tubberville was born. Matt and Natalie needed a case to solve, so we came up with this runaway Pakistani bride scenario. It just got crazier from there. I think this story is a lot of fun.

CW: What was the most fun experience you’ve ever had as a writer?

Writing is not fun. I’m serious! Researching is fun. Answering fan letters is fun. Writing answers to blog interviews is even fun. Walking through a bookstore and seeing my name on a shelf is fun. Writing is, like someone said, “like shoving a refrigerator uphill.” Well, okay, if you insist. I adore writing the scene at the end where the hero and heroine get together. I just melt into a puddle every time. We old married people know that the real work begins there, but gosh, don’t you just love that hopeful spot of pure joy?

CW: Well, I can’t comment on loving endings. Of the three books I’ve written, I’ve only written one true ending and, well, I cried . . . a lot. But I’m always amazed at the amount of sheer self-will and hard work it takes to complete a novel and I’m also awed by the creativity that shows itself on the written page.

If an aspiring author were sitting across from you at your kitchen table, what piece of writing advice would you give them?

Beth: Anything that’s worth having is hard to get.

CW: That is sooooo true! This was great, Beth. Thank you!

If you’d like to win an autographed copy of Controlling Interest, please leave a comment. You do NOT need to place your e-mail address in the comment. Just fill out the field for your e-mail address and I’ll be the only one who can see it.

To visit Beth’s site go to: www.elizabethwhite.net