Love Romances and More Interview
Interview by Dawn
Roberto, December 2007
This month I had the
pleasure of talking with author Marie Harte. Her latest release is from Samhain
Publishing called ENJOYING THE SHOW and is about a woman who with a group of
friends, watch the next-door neighbor in all his glory. When she is caught by
Gage, Hailey finds herself with a dilemma: either she goes out with him or he’ll
call the cops. What is a girl to do except give in and touch the temptation!
Why did you become a writer? Was it a dream of yours since you were younger or did the desire to write happen later in your life?
Writing
is something I’ve always done. For fun, as a child, I’d pen stories in
notebooks, creating worlds and dramas I found exciting. I’d daydream a lot, and
could never be punished by “going to my room” because I’d just sit at my desk
and write.
What do you love about being an author? Is there
anything you dislike?
I love the autonomy. I create my own characters and worlds. I control the situations. (Yes, I have a bit of a control problem, just ask my husband.) I absolutely love it. Sometimes it’s hard working at such a solitary endeavor, but friends, family and fellow writers help keep you sane.
How do you balance your personal and writing time?
It’s hard. My 4 year old started Pre-K this year, so that’s freed up a lot of my time. My 2 year old, however, is still at home. I write during his nap times and the few times he goes to Mother’s Day Out during the week, a few hours a day. I also tend to write late at night, whenever I can grab a spare moment. But mostly my family life comes first, and I have to work to fit writing around it.
How do you write? Do your characters come to you first or the plot or the world of the story?
Normally
I’ll think of an engaging plot filled with interesting characters. Plot first.
But every once in a while a character nags the crap out of me and I create a
story just for him or her.
What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the
stories that you write?
I write
a lot of paranormal and futuristic, though I’ve delved into contemporaries
recently. I love not being held to rules. In paranormals I can create characters
that stretch boundaries, and in futuristics, heck, I create the rules.
Contemporaries are a nice change because they’re easier, at least for me, in
that I can focus more on the characters since the world has already been
created.
Do you tend to base your characters on real people or
are they totally from your imagination?
Most are totally from my imagination, or possess some of the traits from people I’ve encountered in my everyday life. But I’ve never based a character directly off of someone I’ve met.
Of all the characters you have created, do you have a particular favorite? What appeals to you the most about this character?
Ethan Reaper, of Reaper’s Reward, sticks out in my mind. I had such fun writing about such a big, gruff guy who has control issues in the bedroom. But he’s really just a softie for the woman he loves. And wow, is he hot.
How do you know what to name your books or the characters?
I have a baby names book. Otherwise it’s just too hard to come up with original names without every hero named Rafe and every heroine named Samantha (both of which I’ve already used).
What would you want readers to take away from your books?
Entertainment. I’m not writing about the cure for cancer. I’m writing to entertain, to take a person away from her or his daily grind and enjoy the fantasy of romance and happily ever after.
Do you have any advice for beginning writers in regards to writing a book?
Yes. Finish. The. Book. It took me forever to get past writing and reediting my first thirty pages. But once I did, I finally finished the book. Then I wrote another and another, and here we are. If you believe in what you write, no one can ever sway you from your course to publish. Not critics, rejections or family and friends who can’t and won’t support you. Choose a good support group and do what makes you happy.
Now that we have settled in, why not discuss your latest release? Your latest book is ENJOYING THE SHOW from Samhain Publishing. I enjoyed this story immensely. What inspired you to write about voyeurism and one woman’s fantasy man?
I wanted to write a contemporary to do something different. And the first page wrote itself. Next thing I knew, Hailey developed into a character with insecurities most of us would like to have (hello, everyone thinks I’m sexy and it bothers me??). I’d originally written the story for another publisher and resubmitted to Samhain. After such much needed revisions, my editor Laurie took it. I was thrilled!
Hailey and Gage in ENJOYING THE SHOW are quite hot together. Is there a little bit of you in them?
I wish. Although I do like looking at hot men. Unfortunately, my neighbors are well advanced in years, and the many trees in the neighborhood effectively obscure my vision from the other houses …thank God.
Will we see any books with some of Hailey’s friends in the future from ENJOYING THE SHOW?
I don’t know. When I wrote it, I had a few ideas about Sydney, Hailey’s best friend, getting together with Gage’s brother, Derrick, who has the hots for her. I have a bunch of other projects on the burner, but I might come back to Sydney and Derrick at some point.
What is the biggest misconception about being an author?
That once you’re published you don’t have to try as hard. Not true. Each book is unique, and just because an editor liked one, doesn’t mean they’ll like the next. In other words, you can’t rest on your laurels.
Do you have any special rituals to help you get in the mood to write?
At night a hot cup of tea helps.
Do you have any bad writing habits?
Yeah, that darned %$@!! Internet. I’m addicted to email. I have to close Yahoo to get anything done.
You find yourself stranded on a desert island, what things could you not survive without?
Chocolate. And a romance book.
Has being published changed you at all?
Nope.
What do you do to relax?
I read.
What makes a great book to you?
When I can’t put it down.
If you could go anywhere, be anyone, do anything for 24 hours, what would it be?
Tough question. I’ll go with Stonehenge. I’ve always wanted to see if the place feels as powerful as it looks.
Do you have any indulgent behaviors one might find surprising?
I have the ability to sleep anywhere at anytime. Unfortunately, I rarely get the chance.
For Fun: Soothing bubble baths or hot showers?
Hot showers. That’s where all my ideas are born.
Do you have another website besides this one, www.marieharte.com, that you would like to share?
I have a blog. http://marieharte.blogspot.com I try to update it daily, if not every few days.
What do you have coming in 2008? May we get a sneak look?
Coming from Amber Quill/Amber Heat in January, EMERGENCE: Joining Perimore Corp. to fight in the Nox Squad, Deacon spends his time putting rogue vamps behind bars. But a mission gone wrong leads Deacon to Hope, a Nox with secrets that might be Perimore’s downfall. Because Hope will lead Deacon to a truth that will change his world forever.
And in the spring, RACHEL’S TOTEM is coming to Samhain. It’s a feline shapeshifter story about a strange small town named Cougar Falls, a mysterious totem that’s gone missing, and the one woman destined to save them all.
Is there anything else you would like to add, Ms. Harte?
Thanks very much, Dawn, for the opportunity to be interviewed. And I look forward to more news and reviews from Love Romances and More. Happy holidays!
Thank you for talking with us Ms. Harte. I hope others enjoy ENJOYING THE SHOW as much as I did. Hailey and Gage are two very wonderful characters that a reader can draw into their hearts and enjoy.