Romance Reviews Today
Interview
March, 2006
Interview with Marie Harte, author of
BELOW THE SURFACE, March 2006
By Terrie Figueroa, of Romance Reviews Today
RRT:
Marie, tell us a little about yourself.
MH: I’ll try to keep
it brief. :) I am the daughter of an English teacher, and surprise surprise, I
majored in English from Penn State University. I spent six years as a
communications officer in the Marine Corps before getting married to a
now-retired Marine. Since then, I’ve worked as an Information Technologies
specialist and a middle manager at a national trucking company. I have a 1
yr-old and a 2½ yr-old, both boys, who keep my VERY occupied at home. My older
children are wonderful even as teens (I married them and their father
seven years ago this May,) and I’m blessed with a happy family. I’ve always
been writing, but only the past few years have I become a writer, as in,
a person who sits down each day and writes.
RRT: How much of your personality and life
experiences are in your writing?
MH: I don’t go for weak heroines, and I
really like larger than life heroes. Strength of character is always something
I’ve admired, and I like to put that into my writing. As for life experiences,
well, I use some military, IT, and logistics backgrounds in my stories. But
most of what I write is what I like to read--hot, sexy fiction!
RRT: When did you first consider writing as a
career, and what prompted you to submit your first manuscript?
MH: Five years ago, while still working
fulltime and before the babies arrived, I started writing more regularly.
An hour almost every day/night. I finally got off my butt and decided to
become a writer instead of talking about it to death.
RRT: Was your first submission accepted or did
you have to go back to the drawing board?
MH: I submitted to the NY house publishers
and had to wait FOREVER to hear about my rejections. I did receive several
positive notes of feedback, but the lag time between resubmissions was and is a
killer. Did I mention I'm not a very patient person?
I had never heard about e-books until I read about them in a magazine. I heard
about New Concepts Publishing (NCP) through my local RWA chapter and submitted a
short story I'd done, a vampire piece. They accepted it, and several books
later, here I am! I had plenty of rejections on stories prior to that. I
actually appreciate the rejections though, because they taught me a lot about
what I was doing wrong, as well as what I was doing right.
I look back on my first book, a novella
called Blackthorne’s Light from DARK AND DANGEROUS,
an anthology, and am amazed at how much I think I’ve grown as a writer. I’ll
always treasure that work because it was my first ever published, but I know I’d
write it differently today.
RRT: What books do you read for pleasure, and who
are some of your favorite authors?
MH: I love all types of romance, fantasy
and horror. Several authors I’m a fan of are Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christine Feehan,
Sabrina Jeffries, Jaid Black, Sherri King, Jayne Ann Krentz, Julia Quinn, Nora
Roberts (but of course), Dean Koontz, Stephen King, David Eddings (LOVED the
Belgariad series) and Charlaine Harris (both her Sookie Stackhouse books and
Lily Bard mysteries). I’m a true bibliophile, so I could go on and on and on,
but I’d run out of room.
RRT: Tell us a little about what you’re working
on now.
MH: I’m working on the fourth book of my
Storm Lords series, a paranormal/fantasy series about four identical
quadruplet princes in a race to find brides and save their world from an
encroaching evil. The princes are Storm Lords, beings who command the elements,
and they must find worthy brides---who can withstand their magic---from a world
where magic is scarce. I’m also working on a paranormal novella for NCP for a
possible anthology whose deadline is looming nearer and nearer…gulp.
RRT: What type of writing routine, if any, do you
work with?
MH: Because I’m currently a stay-at-home
mom, I can’t do any writing during the day. On the off chance both boys will
nap at the same time, I usually spend the time cleaning or, heaven help me,
napping. Again, the key words to focus on are “off chance the boys are
napping.” Thus I’m normally tired and my house is a mess. :) My writing is done
mostly at night. Around nine or so, after the little ones turn in, I get to
work. Unfortunately, I sometimes get into a rhythm and write until one or two
in the morning. And man, do I pay for it the next day!! But I’ve been trying
to be good, and lately I’m in bed by midnight.
RRT: What sort of things do you do in your spare
time? Do you have any hobbies?
MH: In my spare time I’m normally taking
kids to band practice or some type of lessons somewhere. I like to do aerobics
at my local Y, however, and enjoy gardening. I have a rose bush I haven’t
killed yet, and it’s been three years going. I’m very excited! Oh, and I don’t
necessarily enjoy it, but I jog every now and again. My thighs really need it.
Reading, though, is one hobby I absolutely love.
RRT: What's up next for you?
MH: After the fourth Storm Lord
book, there’s the final, fifth book concerning the brothers’ uncle, a powerful
sorcerer. Then a third futuristic for Venus Press following my first release
with them in June titled, Talson’s Wait (and the second book,
Talson’s Test, should be out soon after). I have a Bad Girls
series novella with VP on track for September, and a dark fantasy romance from Amber
Quill titled Darkson’s Forfeit out in June. I’m also hoping to
write two more futuristics for my Mardu brothers, Rafe and Sernal, who made
brief appearances in my previous futuristic romances with NCP. Whew. Lots to
do, so little time to do it!!
RRT: How may readers contact you?
MH: I love to hear from readers, and may be reached at
marie_harte@yahoo.com.
I also have a website at
www.marieharte.com
with a link to my newsletter, a monthly memo I publish with member-only excerpts
and news from my end of the publishing world.
MH: Thank you again for this opportunity
to interview with Romance Reviews Today. I enjoyed it, and I hope you will as
well.
RRT: Thank you, Marie!