What is
your writing style or schedule?: I love writing
a narrative with a strong heroine in lst person POV, who is self-deprecating, witty,
and never afraid to risk speaking her mind. In my case, my heroines may be
taller, thinner and prettier, but so far we share the red hair and brown eyes. Whether
author’s realize it or not, most of us share a brain and a piece of our heart
with our novel’s heroine OR we create a character that supports the fantasy we imagine
we are. As for schedule, with mixed success I’m into “to do” lists to stick to any
schedule.
Where do
you actually write?: I write on my laptop either in a leather LR recliner or in
the sunroom surrounded by natural light and windows to the wildlife world outside.
(Since our barn is now empty of horses, we feed deer, turkeys, rabbits,
chipmunks and birds in our wooded glade outside the sunroom.)
Do you
write linearly or not?: I do. I even wrote a poetic paragraph in the beginning
of The Accidental Wife about “time
being linear,” which is impossible in a time travel twist.
What sort of other activities keep you from actually writing?: Besides watching
the addictive daily Breaking News this year, it’s been social media and the
necessity to market that runs my train off track.
Do you
have support, either from family and friends or a writing group?: My retired IBM hub has been my “Tech” guy, along
with occasional cheer leader support from two grown daughters.
How long
does it normally take you to write a novel?:
Several months of writing, bookended by research and editing for half
that time. I’m very particular about turning in a clean ms. A full year is not
out of line for a novel, allowing time for shorter freelance articles as well.
Who or
what are your inspirations?: Even before I met her at two Writer Conferences,
the multi-talented Diana Gabaldon was my inspiration, along with a few other
mystery and historical writers.
If
there’s a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?: MARKETING!!! (You and me both, CJ!)
Given
unlimited resources, what would be your ideal writing environment?: A GREAT
FANTASY!! No phone or TV in a casita on our acreage with a wall of bookshelves,
a personal cook to bring me meals and stock a frige with beverages and brownies,
a weekly maid and a masseuse, my new Amazon Echo to answer questions and stream
in my music choices, and a tech manager and publicist on board to post on FB
and Pinterest, answer emails and place ads and book appearances.This might give me time to WRITE more than
one novel each year!
Tell me about your latest book.: The
Accidental Stranger is the sequel to The
Accidental Wife which had the heroine exchange places with her infamous ancestor
in a time slip to 1886. She returns to the present to give birth to a child and
in Book 2 she accidentally shoots a stalker who looks like her son’s 1886
father. But is he the man she thinks skipped time to rejoin her in a time twist…or
a look-alike stranger with his own dark secret? Kirkus Review summarized The Accidental Stranger as “A
transporting and satisfying read that offers a fanciful twist on its
genre.”
Where did you get your inspiration for your books?: I love the way a time
travel creates automatic suspense—ala Diana Gabaldon’s multi-genre Outlander
books. I also love twisting my plotlines to surprise readers.
Do you have a favorite character and if so, who and why?: Jessica, my spunky
red-haired alter-ego is my favorite character. Jess often takes me on virtual
adventures and even writes some of her own dialogue!
What are
you working on now?: Two projects vie for time outside of marketing. Book three
in the Accidental Series bumps minor characters who lived in Ireland in the
1880’s into starring roles. The
Accidental Heiress involves a long-time Irish scandal, the usual identity
crisis, and a shift in the legacy of the O’Brien/Mitchell families. The
Accidental Series originally grew out of an award-winning short story so I’m
capitalizing on that by expanding another successful short story into a YA
novella.Yet another
short story, The Holdup, won an
award in a London WC in 2014 and was picked for a British Anthology to be
released on Amazon this fall, along with my audio version of Hot Stuff, a candy heart romance line put
out by WildRose Press last year.
Bio: Born and raised in Packerland, Cj moved west to
the medical mecca in Rochester, MN where her writing career bloomed with
published award-winning stories and articles to her novel series inspired by
Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander. Rescued horses, dogs, cats, children and one
patient husband have motivated the heart of Cj’s craft. Though living on a
country hilltop haven for decades, she has ventured down on occasion to climb a
Jamaican waterfall, float in the Dead Sea, kiss the Blarney Stone and research
settings for her next novel.
A Golden Quill finalist and Top 10 Finisher for Author and
Book in a P & E Reader’s Poll.
Excerpt: The Accidental Wife
Excerpt, a Golden Quill Finalist and Top 10 Best Romance and Best Author in P
& E Poll, 2015.
He rose from the chair like an old man and touched my face with
both hands, feathering his fingers lightly across my forehead, into the wells
of my eyes, over my nose and cheekbones, like a blind man needing to know who
stood before him. I tried not to stiffen at his touch, willing
myself not to blink, not to release the fresh tears that had begun to pool. He
collared my throat with his long fingers and ran a thumb over my lips. “I want
my wife back. Come back to me, Mitawin,” he whispered.
The word on the teacup; the hallmark of
my deceit. Our eyes locked, and I felt my throat closing and my knees begin to
quiver. For a few seconds his grip tightened around my throat, and I clamped my
eyes shut with a fleeting thought. Yes, take my breath...end this
tormenting deception.
I love time travels, and this sounds like a great read. I'm off to purchase.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ana! A book that pulls you into the story is an "armchair time travel." Hope you enjoy the flight!
ReplyDeleteWelcome, CJ! Happy to have you here!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Jennifer! Love to be here!
DeleteGreat interview. The series sound intriguing. I love time travel and reincarnation stories.
ReplyDeletePenny, you're my favorite kind of reader. What has happened in our century was often science fiction in the past. TT and reincarnation??
DeleteI love books in a series. That way, when you find something you really love, there's always more to come!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you Debra. It's easy to do a series with loveable characters who insist there is MORE to their story! Author Diana Gabaldon was my inspiration.
Delete