Single Titles catches up with favourite author Sue Moorcroft for a chat about romantic heroes, writing tips and the link between chocolate and romance novels!

Hi Sue! It’s great to have you back on Single Titles! You’ve got a new novel out published by Choc Lit called All That Mullarkey. First of all, could you tell us something about Choc Lit, your brand new publisher? What sort of books do they publish and what attracted you to writing for this exciting new publishing house?

Thanks for having me back, Julie. It’s always a pleasure.

Choc Lit is another pleasure in my life – a publisher that exactly suits me. They’re a young, market savvy organisation and their strapline is, ‘Where heroes are as irresistible as chocolate’. As I love chocolate and enjoy writing from the hero’s point of view, I’ve found a spiritual home. I work directly with Lyn Vernham, the publisher, and as we’re both direct in nature and focused on seeing the books succeed, it’s an effective relationship as well as an enjoyable one.

Most importantly – Choc Lit get my books in the shops. Everyone at Choc Lit is focused on seeing their books published well, ie with gorgeous covers and good materials. We work together on covers and promotion opportunities. I admire everything they do and they always make me feel valued and included.

Your two novels for Choc Lit, Starting Over and All That Mullarkey, all include the hero’s point of view. How do you manage to get into your heroes’ head and make them realistic and believable? Do you find this particularly challenging or is it something which comes easily to you?

I enjoy reading romantic fiction that includes the hero’s point of view so that’s what I enjoy writing. Basically, I suppose I enjoy the company of men. I happen to have been born into a family where I was the only girl and, as we travelled around a lot in my childhood, I perhaps depended upon the company of my brothers more than I might otherwise have done. Then, as luck had it, I only produced sons. So I’m used to being with men.

In real life, I find I often can understand the male point of view, for example, in matters of access to their children when a relationship ends. It’s not blind sympathy, I also have plenty to say about aspects of life that, traditionally, benefit men – but perhaps having only brothers and only sons has made me empathetic.

Also, I have a good writing buddy who will read my stuff and tell me when my heroes aren’t thinking like men. For example, when I send him a scene that includes, He lifted her hem … he will say, ‘Hem? We don’t know what hems are. Just get the T-shirt off!’ This is valuable! On the other hand, he will often suggest that I put words in a man’s mouth that are just not suitable for the books I write. It might well be how men really refer to women but women don’t necessarily enjoy hearing those terms. As with so many things in writing, I have to strike the right balance between reality and appeal.

When you begin writing what comes first: plot or character?

Character. And then character. And after that – character. I create people who can act out my story when I give them conflicts and missions that impact upon their natural character traits, and those of the other characters. In All That Mullarkey, for example, I give Cleo a character trait of turning a bit wild if somebody gets her cross enough. And Justin is a guy who loves to laugh and smile, so he finds her outrageous streak funny and appealing. I then had to find a way to get them together that involved these traits – and then, as with most romantic fiction, keep their paths crossing with no way of resolving the attraction between them until I was good and ready.

Creating characters for the page is, to me, exactly like being an actor. You have to make them act in character.

Could you tell us something about your new novel, All That Mullarkey?

I love this book. I’m sorry to be so much like a mother admiring her own baby, but it was one of those books that pretty much wrote itself. Cleo is somebody who I’d love to count as a friend and I fell in love with Justin, from the first. I think that, in real life, I like slightly naughty people, and these two are both slightly naughty.

So, to spend time with them was no hardship.

The problem with having a naughty side is that, occasionally, others are affected by your actions in a way that they don’t appreciate. And then there are huge consequences for small actions … I love to throw obstacle after obstacle in the way of my characters but let them have a lot of fun, too, and, in this book, I think it really works.

And I’m really, incredibly fond of what happens in the Epilogue. I had written it and been vaguely unsatisfied and then, chatting over lunch with my son, a little light came on in my head. I rushed back to my computer and rewrote those few pages, sent the whole thing to Choc Lit and everyone who read it, there, said, ‘Oh yeah …!’

What originally inspired this story?

A woman in a magazine. It was one of those features where the magazine took six or eight women and taught them to dress and make up a way that would ‘minimise their bad points’. There was this one woman who didn’t seem to get the hang of having bad points. Her attitude was more, ‘So I’m short and sturdy and a bit top heavy, and my eyes go down at the corners instead of up – so what? Men love top heavy women and my hair is great.’ All the other women looked apologetic, in their photos, but not this woman. She stared out at me and grinned. And Cleo was born.

Although, your novels are mostly romantic comedies, they also deal with quite serious issues. How do you manage to balance so deftly humour and pathos?

I suppose that’s how I see life. Most writers know that you can get serious points across with humour and some of my favourite comedy programmes on TV have made me cry from time to time. I was brought up to be able to take a joke against myself and to find sarcasm funny and maybe that makes it into my books. I consider myself a realist so reality intrudes, sometimes rudely, into my novels. I was pleased when a reader told me, recently, that she’d been struck by Tess’s menstrual difficulties in Starting Over, as it was the kind of uncomfortable reality that she hadn’t read of before – but she had suffered exactly the same kind of embarrassing mishap that Tess did and was glad to be able to laugh and groan along with her.

In addition to your novels, you’ve also written Love Writing: How to Make Money Writing Romantic or Erotic Fiction. What made you decide to write this book? And what does this book offer to aspiring writers of romantic or erotic fiction?

Love Writing brings together just about all of my skills: I write romantic fiction, I’m a creative writing tutor and write ‘how to’ articles for writing magazines, from time to time.

The opportunity to write it came when bereavement made me less able to write full-length romantic fiction, with the kind of emotional investment that it requires. I knew Hazel Cushion of Accent Press and had contributed to a couple of the charity anthologies that she had published, so when the opportunity came up, through a mutual friend, to have dinner with her, I revived a vague idea I’d had for a while, to write a writing ‘how to’ book. Romantic fiction was the obvious choice. It just happened that Accent was looking to expand its writing ‘how to’, so Hazel asked me to submit a formal proposal. Over the next bottle of wine or so we thrashed out on the back of an envelope (in time-honoured tradition) roughly what she’d be interested in and I sent her the proposal a week or so later. And she commissioned the book.

I tried to offer writers of romantic fiction exactly what they needed. I solicited questions from the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme, from writing groups and from various e-forums, and then looked around for published writers and industry professionals to answer the questions. And I have to say a huge thank you both to those who supplied questions and answers, because it meant I covered areas I otherwise might never have done. As I’ve gone through the process of learning to write romantic fiction, and teaching all kinds of fiction, and being on the committee of the Romantic Novelists’ Association for years, I felt I was able to fill in the blanks in a systematic and helpful way – which included a lot of hugely enjoyable research. The publishers were keen that I should be chatty and friendly, which is the style I’ve developed for students, anyway. And, as Accent publish erotica under their imprint Xcite, that I should take a reasonably clear look at writing erotica.

The book has garnered hugely positive reviews, for which I’m grateful.

Despite the economic recession, sales of romantic fiction continue to soar. Why do you think that readers just cannot get enough of romantic fiction?

It makes them feel good. It’s a safe way of kind of falling in love again (without destroying a real life relationship) and it’s light entertainment. I’m a great believer in entertainment. Most people will happily watch a ‘rom com’ or a soap opera on television or film, because it gives their brain a chance to dump its worries and stress. For me, the same escapism is gained from the right novels. In fact, more, because interruptions matter less. If the phone rings or the kids clamour, you can simply tuck a bookmark in between the pages and the characters will be frozen in action until you can return.

In the same way that some people enjoy to sing along to the radio, readers of romantic fiction enjoy a ‘love along’.

What’s next for Sue Moorcroft?

I’ve just written the first 10% of a new novel. I really love this book. The heroine, Honor Montag, is an American who has come to the Brighton area, in England, to trace the English mother who left her when she was a baby. I’ve been planning the book for a couple of months while I finished working on Want to Know a Secret?, which is my third Choc Lit novel and comes out in November. I know why her mother left and how Honor’s story impacts upon hero Martyn Mayfair’s, what brings them together and what keeps them apart. I feel like hiring a cottage somewhere for a couple of months and doing nothing but writing this book – but, that, unfortunately, is where real life intrudes. I have to teach and judge comps and critique and all the other things that are part of my writing life.

Sounds fabulous, Sue! If you want to find more about Sue and her novels visit her website at http://www.suemoorcroft.com! Her latest novel, All That Mullarkey, is published by Choc Lit and it’s on sale now!

Win a copy of Sue Moorcroft’s ALL THAT MULLARKEY by leaving a question or comment for Sue.  Two winners will be chosen randomly on August 15. Void where prohibited, chances of winning depend on the number of participants.

Thanks for having me today! I thought it would be fun to send over a never-before-seen Fatal Affair excerpt, which was released last Monday from Carina Press. And then I’d be happy to take questions about writing, murder, romance, politics or raising teenagers. I’ll give a copy of Fatal Affair to one respondent. Look forward to talking with you!

Sam’s memories of Nick Cappuano should have faded over the years, but they hadn’t. He remained a larger-than-life character from a single night that shouldn’t have meant as much as it had. But she had forgotten the reality of him—his height, easily six-three or -four, broad shoulders, chocolate brown hair that curled at the ends, hazel eyes that missed nothing, olive-toned skin, strong, efficient hands that changed forever what she expected from a lover, crackling intelligence, and the cool aura of reserved control she’d found so fascinating the first time she met him.
Cracking that control had been one of the best memories from her night with him. When he didn’t call, she’d wondered if their intense connection had scared him off. But now that she knew he had called, that he had wanted to see her again…that changed everything.
“Can I ask you something that has nothing to do with the case?” she said as they cut across the District on the way to the Watergate where he’d left his car. Along the way, they noticed a few American flags already lowered to half-mast in John’s honor. The word was out, and the official mourning had begun.
“Sure.”
Her heart raced as she picked at a scab she’d mistakenly thought healed long ago. “When you called me…after…that night…do you remember who you talked to at my house?” He shrugged. “Some guy. One of your roommates maybe.”
Knowing the answer before she even asked, she said, “You didn’t get his name? I lived with three guys.”
“Shit, I don’t know. Paul maybe.”
“Peter?”
“Yes. Peter. That was it. I talked to him a couple of times.”
Gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white, Sam wanted to scream.
“Was he your boyfriend?”
“Not then,” she said through gritted teeth.
“Later?”
“He’s my ex-husband.”
“Ah! Well, now it all makes sense,” he said but there was a bitter edge to his voice that she understood all too well. She was feeling rather bitter herself at the moment.
“Too bad you didn’t give me your cell number instead of your home number.”
“I only had a department cell then, and I never used it for personal business.” They were quiet until she pulled into the Watergate. “I’d like to interview your staff in the morning,” she said as the car idled.
“I’ll make sure they’re available.” He rattled off the Hart Senate Office Building address where she could find them.
“In the meantime, here’s my card in case you think of anything that might be relevant. No matter how big or how small, you never know what’ll crack a case wide open.”
He took the card and reached for the door handle.
“Nick,” she said, her hand on his arm to stop him from getting out. Looking down at her hand and then up to meet her eyes, he raised an eyebrow.
“I would’ve liked to have gotten those messages,” she said, her heart racing. “I would’ve liked that very much.”
He sighed. “I can’t process this on top of everything else that’s happened today. It’s just too much.”
“I know.” She raised her hand to let him go. “I’m sorry I brought it up.”
He surprised her when he reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “Don’t be sorry. I really want to talk about it. Later, though, okay?”
Sam swallowed hard at the intense expression on his handsome face. “Okay.”
He released her hand and opened the car door. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Yes,” she said softly to herself when he was gone. “See you then.”

About Fatal Affair:
On the morning of the most important vote of Senator John O’Connor’s career he is late—again. His best friend and chief of staff, Nick Cappuano sets off to O’Connor’s apartment expecting to roust him from bed and hoping he is alone. But what Nick finds is that O’Connor, the handsome, amiable Senator from Virginia, has been brutally murdered, and Nick’s world comes crashing down around him. Complicating the disaster, the detective assigned to the case is none other than Sam Holland, Nick’s one-night stand from six years earlier, the woman who broke his heart and haunts his dreams. With six years worth of unfinished business hanging between them and more than a few scores to settle personally and professionally, Nick and Sam set out to find the senator’s killer while trying—and failing—to resist the overwhelming attraction between them that seems to have only grown over the years.

It soon becomes clear that the senator’s past holds secrets that not only led to his death but now endanger Nick and Sam as well. Working together to find a killer and to rediscover the love they thought they lost long ago, they must put the past behind them and build a future that offers a world of new opportunities for both of them—including an offer from the Virginia Democrats for Nick to finish the last year of John’s term. Buy the book at http://ebooks.carinapress.com.

And about me:
Marie Force’s first romantic suspense, FATAL AFFAIR, was released June 21, 2010 from Carina Press. Book 2 in the Fatal Series, FATAL JUSTICE, is coming in January from Carina. She is also the author of LINE OF SCRIMMAGE and LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT. Of LINE OF SCRIMMAGE, Booklist said, “With its humor and endearing characters, Force’s charming novel will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers, reaching far beyond sports fans.” Wild on Books said, “LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT by Marie Force is most definitely a keeper. It is an astounding book. I loved every single word!” A third contemporary, EVERYBODY LOVES A HERO, is due out Feb. 1, 2011. Since 1996, Marie has been the communications director for a national organization similar to the Romance Writers of America. She is a member of RWA’s New England, From the Heart and Published Author Special Interest Chapters. While her husband was in the Navy, Marie lived in Spain, Maryland and Florida, and is now settled in her home state of Rhode Island. She is the mother of two children and a feisty dog named Brandy. Find her at www.mariesullivanforce.com, on her blog at http://mariesullivanforce.blogspot.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Marie-Force/248130827909 and on Twitter at twitter.com/MarieForce. Marie loves to hear from readers. Contact her at marie@marieforce.com.

Book Give Away ends July 5.

Laura Griffin, author of  romantic suspense books like her latest release UNSPEAKABLE, is offering a $25 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky commenter on Single Titles.

We have four ways to enter and you lucky folks can enter all four ways. Four chances to win. Awesome, huh?!

Option 1: Leave a comment below and tell us how excited you are to be entered to win.
Option 2: Visit Laura Griffin ’s website, check out her books and then come back here and tell us which book you want to read most and why. If you’ve read all of Laura’s books, come back and tell us which was your favorite and why.
Option 3: Blog about the contest on your blog (myspace and facebook DO count) and link back to this post. Then come back here with a link to where we can come read your post (hey, promo for you!)
Option 4: Post a link back to the contest from your facebook or twitter page. And then, come back and post a link to that post you made (more promo for you!)

Once you’ve entered, send an email to your friends and tell them to come enter too. Everyone likes to win goodies, right?

Good luck!

Contest ends July 5.  The odds of winning depend upon the number of participants.  Void where prohibited.

Welcome to Single Titles, Milly! It’s lovely to have you here! Could you start by telling our readers something about yourself?

Certainly – I’m a 46 year old (divorced) mum of two daily-growing boys and I’m a writer – the only job title I ever really coveted.  I was born and still live in Barnsley, an ex-central mining town in South Yorkshire very close to my parents, my friends and my aunts and uncles and this is the town where I set my books also.  I love animals and we have a houseful of rescue cats, a psychopathic Siamese and a German Eurasier dog.  I love animals and I’m proud Patron of the Haworth Cat Rescue organisation.  I love olives, lemon cheesecake, red wine, Venice, books that I can’t put down, ten pin bowling and cruise ships.

What attracted you to writing fiction? And why did you choose to write romantic comedies/contemporary women’s fiction?

I’ve always loved reading and writing stories especially those ones I can happily lose myself in with uplifting happy endings.  I like the good guys to get their rewards and the bad guys to get their just desserts.  I’m a born dreamer – a romantic – and to be honest I think the genre chose me!  In the beginning I was trying to write big glitzy novels about a world I knew nothing about, then one day I had a lightbulb moment and thought ‘why aren’t I writing about the place I live in, babies, families, friendships – the stuff of everyday life?’  I did and I never looked back.

What comes first for you when writing: plot or character?

I think plot in my case.  But as soon as I have a very loose idea of a story the characters are born quickly afterwards and then plot and character seem to grow together.

The characters in your books are real and believable people who leap off the page. Readers tend to recognize themselves in your characters because they are not publishing types or people living in stately homes with glamorous jobs, but ordinary people in real situations. Was this a conscious decision on your part?

Even though my characters aren’t based directly on people I know, they are based on the sorts of people I know.  Once I’d realised my writing niche, I created characters who would interact with each other as I do with my friends.  I try to combine escapism with lives that my readers can identify with.  Of course some of my characters may seem a bit ‘over the top’ for comic effect, but I’ve met plenty of both awful and loveable oddbods in real life!

Your latest book, A Summer Fling, has just been published in the UK. Could you tell us something about it?

When I was in my twenties I worked in a store with three other women who were in their fifties, sixties and seventies.  Surprisingly we shared one of the most endearing friendships I’ve ever had.  Our friendship knocked down all barriers of age and I knew one day I’d write about my experiences with this cross-generational friendship.

There are five ladies in this story who all work together but haven’t bonded.  Raychel, in her twenties, has a wonderful husband and together they seem like love’s young dream, but there are dark secrets which constantly attack their happiness (this story thread picks up the ladies of my first book – The Yorkshire Pudding Club) then there is Dawn, who is a sweet, lonely thirtysomething, engaged to be married to a layabout Calum after falling in love with his family rather than the man himself.  Anna – who has her fortieth birthday in the story – is feeling old and frumpy after her boyfriend dumped her for a younger model. Then she meets the vampiric designer Vladimir Darq who says he can transform her into a beautiful woman in a matter of weeks.  Christie, in her forties, is the force who unites them.  She is the manager of the department, a kind-spirited woman with a sad past.  At fifty-five the beautiful Grace is the oldest of them.  Unable to have children of her own she married a man to take care of his motherless brood.  But years later, the buried pressures of that marriage begin to surface.

It was interesting writing about fledgling friendships for a change instead of long established ones.  And the imagery is very sunny in this one – all the ladies are connected with the Sun in some way.

There’s a big cast of people in this book – it took me a long time to get right, but I’m very proud of it. And my vampire is going down a storm with ladies of ALL ages which is thrilling to see.

A theme which runs through all of your books is female friendship. Why is it so important for you that the books focus on the power and importance of women’s friendship in women’s lives?

It’s important in my books because it’s important in my life.  Having women’s friendships, to me, is the best part of being female.  I love that we give each other support, comfort, laughs, cook for each other, help each other in crises. I have fabulous friends and am delighted that women love to read my books because of the storylines of friendships.  I know that because they write and tell me.

As a writer of contemporary romantic comedies, what is the most challenging part of your job?

Each book I write should be better than the last to please my readers.  And I both have to keep them loyal by giving them an instantly recognisable ‘Milly Johnson’ flavoured book whilst keeping everything fresh.  I have to get that balance of old and new right – and that’s more difficult with each passing book. You really are only as good as your last book so the pressure is always on to keep your readers onside.

Out of the four books which you have written, do you have a particular favourite? And what about characters? Do you have a character (or characters) which you love more than the rest?

That’s like asking me which of my kids do I prefer.  Each ‘child’ has different qualities which I appreciate.  ‘The Yorkshire Pudding Club’ was my most raw and emotional book.  ‘The Birds the Bees’ I think my most crafted book with all the bird and bee imagery woven so tightly into it.  ‘A Spring Affair’ is my most autobiographical book (although I didn’t get the hero in real life!) and ‘A Summer Fling’ was my biggest accomplishment after conquering so many storylines in it.  Book five ‘ Here Come The Girls’ is about four women on a sixteen day Mediterranean cruise and that’s the lightest.

I’m in love with all my heroes but if I had to make a choice I’d pick Adam McLean from ‘The Birds and the Bees’.  As for all my ladies – I love them like old friends.  I wouldn’t want to choose a best one.

What’s a typical day for Milly Johnson?

I get up about 7am, feed the menagerie – including the children – get them off to school, take the dog for a walk then I spend the first half hour at my desk answering emails, recapping, checking my Amazon ratings (any author who says they don’t check them is lying).  I work solidly until it’s time to pick up the children, stopping for a snatched lunch about 1pm and then I assume my ‘mum’ mantle.  In saying that I always have a notebook in my hand because my head never quite stops working.  If the kids are out playing with their friends, I’ll squeeze in another hour or two at my desk, but it’s important for them when they’re around that I try to switch off and give them my attention.  They grow up so fast!  I relax in the evenings as much as I can with a nice glass of red and read in bed.  I can’t go to sleep without at least devouring a few pages of a good book written by someone else.

Any advice for aspiring writers?

There are writers and dreamers in this world.  It sounds simple but if you seriously want to be a writer, you need to write – and write as much as you can to refine your craft.  Don’t procrastinate and say you’re going to start a book one day – because you never will.  And read as much as you can too because you’ll absorb style and ideas.
Don’t go into this job for the money because it takes years in 99% of the cases to earn a living solely at writing – JK Rowling is a one off!  Agents and publishers look long term – you’ll need to show that you can produce solidly – ten books at least, they aren’t interested in one book wonders as a rule.  And be realistic.  Not everyone who loves to write has the stand-out ability to become a professional.  Writers have egos.  How can we not?  We think we can produce something that the whole world wants to read so dispense with the false modesty and learn to take advice from people who know what they are talking about.  And never ask another reader to read your book as a courtesy.  They don’t have time and don’t have an agent’s eye.  We’re all on the same side of the fence.  Obey the rules of submission.  If an agent doesn’t take unsolicited manuscripts don’t send them yours hoping they’ll recognise your genius – they’re more likely to recognise the fact that you’re arrogant.  The Writer’s Handbook will tell you what agents require.

Oh and read Stephen King’s ‘On Writing.’  It’s the most comprehensive and sensible guide to writing I’ve ever read.

What’s next for Milly Johnson?

Well, ‘Here Come the Girls’ will be out in the Spring of 2011 and then I’ll be releasing another book later on in the year.  I’m a two book a year girl from now on, so the pressure is really on.  As the Spring and Summer books have done so well, there will be an Autumn and Winter book to follow.

I’m also training to be a BBC radio presenter, writing more and more articles and generally having a ball developing book plots. I’ve got children’s stories in the pipeline and maybe a book of poetry – when I have time. I’m one busy – but very happy – writer.

Milly Johnson is a well loved British author of romantic comedies and women’s fiction.  She would love to introduce her books to a wider readership in the USA.  Therefore, Milly is offering six opportunities to win a copy of her latest book, A SUMMER FLING, including a lovely personalized bookmark with each book given away.

Single Titles has dreamed up four exciting ways to help Milly spread the word and give you an opportunity to win your own copy of A SUMMER FLING!

Option 1: Leave a comment below and tell us how excited you are to be entered to win.
Option 2: Visit Milly Johnson’s website, check out her books and then come back here and tell us which book you want to read most and why. If you’ve read all of Milly’s books, come back and tell us which was your favorite and why.
Option 3: Blog about the contest on your blog (myspace and facebook DO count) and link back to this post. Then come back here with a link to where we can come read your post (hey, promo for you!)
Option 4: Post a link back to the contest from your facebook or twitter page. And then, come back and post a link to that post you made (more promo for you!)

Once you’ve entered, send an email to your friends and tell them to come enter too. Everyone likes to win goodies, right?

Good luck!

Contest ends July 4 and is limited to residents of USA.  The odds of winning depend upon the number of participants.  Void where prohibited.

We thank you for taking the time to answer our questions, ones which will let readers know more about you and the rivetingly fascinating story you have created.

ST: First of all, tell us about yourself. What motivated you to become a romantic suspense writer and to then add in paranormal elements? Also, when did you start writing?

Harlow:  Amelia, thank you for taking the time to chat with me!  And wow, your review of ENEMY LOVER is as my kids would say, off the hook amazing!  It choked me up as I read it.  I’m so glad you ‘got’ this book. Thank you.

Ok, so motivation:  I used to daydream in high school.  Those daydreams made their way to paper.  I wrote my first romance at 17!  It was horrid, but I had such a wonderful time writing it, I wrote more.  Then as it does, life took over for years.  Marriage, raising a family, but I always found a way and a little time to write.  After my last child was born, I started writing for real.  It took years to finish the first book.  All 700 pages!  What a tomb!  Then more life interruptions until I finally said to myself, “I want to get published.”  Then the writing began in earnest.

All of my stories, even the one at 17 had a bad guy, and suspense.  It’s just there in my writer’s fabric.  As a kid, I loved watching Dark Shadows and reading vampire books.  I wanted my very own vampire, and so Marcus Cross, vampire extraordinaire was created.

ST: Tell us about your upcoming June 2010 release, ENEMY LOVER. This story is extremely imaginative and the cover is awesome, too!

Harlow: We pitched the L.O.S.T. , Last Option Special Team, series of which ENEMY LOVER is book one, as The Dirty Dozen meets Mission Impossible with a paranormal twist.  The L.O.S.T. are rogue cops who have been fired, are on the verge of being fired and who will be going to prison for a very long time.  They are recruited by L.O.S.T. and given a choice: go to jail or be erased and start over as a L.O.S.T. operative, and work on what often equates to a suicide mission.  Jax Cassidy is extracted on her way to prison for murder one.  She is L.O.S.T’s first female operative, and she does not disappoint.  But the last thing she counts on when she has her mark in sight, Marcus Cross, is that he’s a vampire.  A vampire who owns the term vampire. Then all hell breaks lose!

You can thank my wonderful editor, Lauren McKenna, for that drool-worthy cover.  She knew what she wanted and she went out and got it!

ST: Will there be more books in your L.O.S.T. series? I truly hope so!

Harlow: Yes!  At least one more for sure, which I’m working on right now.  If ENEMY LOVER does well, I’m crossing everything my editor will want more L.O.S.T. books!

ST: While we are discussing books, every writer and reader wants to know: How did you get the idea for ENEMY LOVER, especially all the emotional issues and the threatening danger?

Harlow:  You can thank my husband in part.  He was watching The Dirty Dozen for like the hundredth time, and I started thinking out loud.  “How cool would it be to bring these guys into the 21^st century?  But instead of soldiers, they’re badass cops who crossed way over the line and with nothing to lose are given a choice: join us and go on a suicide mission and probably die trying or get shanked in prison?”

As far as Jax and Marcus’s emotional issues, I just look around.  Everyone has battle scars.  It’s how you handle what has happened to you that defines you.  If you have two women, each the same age, each with the same basic background, each who have been assaulted, one will curl up and hide, the other will come out fighting.  Jax came out fighting, but that didn’t mean what happened to her didn’t leave deep scars.  It did.  Marcus was doomed from birth.  Many who grew up under the circumstances he did would have turned to drugs or alcohol.  Not Marcus, he turned his anger inside, and then released it in a most unorthodox way. I never make excuses for what my characters do.  Good, bad or indifferent.  What they do is driven by where they have been.  Sometimes they do bad things.  Sometimes for the right reasons and sometimes…not.

ST: Describe your story in just a couple of words.

Harlow: heartbreaking redemption

ST: Are the main characters created from your imagination or do they possess traits belonging to real people? Do you have a specific process for choosing the names for your characters?

Harlow:  All of the characters I create could be someone standing next to you or me in the grocery store.  They are real. I take bits and pieces from real people I know or have seen is documentaries or a fabulous place to observe people with real issues is the show Intervention as well as all of Dr Drew’s shows.  Talk about fodder for angst and turmoil!

I don’t have a specific process for choosing names.  Jax Cassidy, which is a very cool name, is the name of my friend and fellow writer Jax Cassidy!  Lol I ripped her off!  She doesn’t mind though.  Marcus just came out as I wrote his first scene.  I had him envisioned, much like the hunky cover model on the book cover, dark and brooding.  Controlled anger and power chained up inside.

ST: Do your characters live with you as you write? Do they haunt your dreams?

Harlow: Yes.  And well after.  Jax and Marcus are one of those couples who are still with me.  I suspect they always will be.

ST: What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book?

Harlow:  That I write damn good characters!  And the action ain’t bad either!  I worked my butt off writing ENEMY LOVER, so did my editor.  When the final gazzilionth revised version went into production, she told me I should be proud of myself.

The proof will be in the sales.  The reviews have been phenomenal (again thank you for your wonderful review).  Better than had I written them myself.  I am very proud of ENEMY LOVER.

ST: What do you truly hope readers get from reading your book?

Harlow: The truest sense of feeling full and satisfied, followed by a long contented sigh, followed by, “Wow.”

ST: How has being published changed your life, if at all?  What would you like to accomplish with your writing career?

Harlow:  Publishing for me was a goal.  It has changed my life in that I am doing what I love and getting paid for it.  I love writing.  I love the sense of adventure and passion.  I just love everything about this business.  What I want to accomplish most is to truly touch readers.  I want my books to matter to someone.  But for me to continue to do what I love, the sales have to be there.  Therefore, I most definitely want to accomplish a nice solid sales record.

ST: Do you have a favorite book and/or character from all the books which you have read?

Harlow:  I love TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.  Years after I read the book, the characters are still real and vivid to me.  While I write alphas and love them to pieces, Atticus Finch’s beta character is one of the most heroic heroes I have ever read.  Sigh.

ST: If you could do anything and travel to any place in the world for one day, what and where would it be?

Harlow:  Oh, geez.  Hmmm…so many places, so little time!  I’d take my family here on the west coast to my brother’s place on the east coast to spend with his family.

ST: What is something that your readers may not already know about you?

Harlow:  I refuse to cry at the movies.  I go hide in the bathroom and cry.

ST: How can readers reach you?

Harlow:  They can contact me through my website www.karinharlow.com or email me directly at KarinHarlow@aol.com or friend or like me on fb or twitter!

Amelia I’d love to give away a custom L.O.S.T. mug to a lucky commenter today!  And I believe my publisher, Simon & Schuster is giving away a copy of ENEMY LOVER as well.

So readers, comment to be eligible to win!

I look forward to chatting with everyone today.  Don’t hesitate to ask me a question!  ~Harlow

A winner for the mug will be chosen today May 24.  A winner for the book will be chosen Friday May 28.  Both winners will be chosen randomly.