An old interview I did with Romance Junkies...

Hi and Welcome!
Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to interview you for Romance Junkies.
First, can you let us know what projects you are currently working on?
Hello! I’m glad to be here and I’m grateful for this opportunity. I am currently
working on several projects. One is a book that focuses on domestic violence, which
I myself was once a victim of. The book is about a woman who was once in an abusive marriage.
Her ex-husband finds her and she goes on the run to get away from him. I hope to
have the book finished by the end of this year. I also have other books I am working
on also that I tend to alternate between.
What does your writing schedule look like? Do you work outside the home also?
I do my best writing at night after my family is I bed. I usually write from ten ‘o clock at night
until around five in the morning. Writing is an addiction for me. I have been known to write
for twenty or more hours straight. I don’t work outside my home, but I do
own two businesses (The Romance Shop and Sterling Editing) that I run from my home.
What is the best comment you have gotten from a reader? How about the strangest?
The best comment I have gotten from readers is that the book was so good that they
couldn’t put it down once they started reading it. The strangest comment I have gotten
from a reader was when I was asked if I practice for my intimate scenes. That to me is the same
as asking a mystery murder author if they practice for their murder scenes.
What are the biggest challenges you find when writing a book?
The biggest challenge is getting my family to leave me alone when I’m writing. Some of them
don’t view my writing as work and they don’t take it seriously. They expect me to
stop writing and do what they want me to do.
Do your characters start the story with personalities or do the personalities
come out as the story moves on?
I plan and flesh out my characters, but as soon as I start writing, my characters tend to
come alive and take on personalities all of their own.
If you could mentor a new writer, what would be your first piece of advice to them?
Just let your words flow from within you and don’t hold back.
Do you have any exciting summer plans or do you just want to kick back and relax?
I wish I had some exciting plans for this summer, but I will just be staying home relaxing and
writing. I hope to go on a Hawaiian cruise someday.
What are your personal goals, writing or otherwise?
My personal goals are to lose weight so that I can live a normal life. I am in the
process of getting things set up so I can have a gastric bypass. My writing goal
is to be published by Harlequin someday.
What is your favorite summer activity? How about your least favorite part of summer?
My favorite summer activity is swimming. My least favorite thing about summer is the heat.
I live in Fairfield, California and there are days during the summer when it gets up over
one hundred degrees.
What kinds of books will we find in your beach bag this summer?
Romance books. I love romance books. I am currently reading THE DEVIL
SERVED TORTELLINI written by Shirley Jump.
MORE FUN…
What do you like to do at the beach? Tan? Walk? Read? Or do you hate the beach?
I love the beach. I love how the warm sand feels between my toes. I enjoy
reading and tanning at the beach. It’s very relaxing.
What is your favorite summer drink?
Kool-aid. My favorite flavor is grape.
Would you rather go to an amusement park, museum or a park?
I love amusement parks. My favorite amusement park is Lagoon in Utah.
What age is your inner child and why did you pick that age?
My inner child is fourteen. I still enjoy hanging out with my friends and shopping.
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Are you a cone or bowl kind of girl?
I love ice cream. I will take it in a bowl or a cone, but prefer it in a bowl. There’s nothing
better than a bowl of ice cream covered in chocolate syrup.
That’s sounds great for right now! Thank you, Tarra, for spending time with us; it has been
a lot of fun. Best of luck with your writing!