ELISE K. ACKERS’ titles invite one to ASK her questions such as “How do you drink a smurf?” 

Welcome and thanks for treading the boards with us today!

1.      Are you inspired most by places, people or experiences and how do these work their way into your writing?

I’m predominantly inspired by place. Each of my books is anchored in a real location, even Ask Me To Stay’s Hinterdown, which is a fictional name for a town in New South Wales. When I don’t have to imagine the setting, it’s like my imagination is free to see the characters, and all the complexities associated with them. I’ve written about Olinda in the Victorian Dandenong Ranges, Melbourne’s city and bay, Melbourne’s Hamer Hall… the list goes on.

My personal experiences sometimes work their way into my stories, but they get reshaped so much that they often become unrecognisable.

 I haven’t been inspired by any people yet. Maybe one day, but for now, I have enough imaginary characters to be getting on with.

2.      Please share one of your favourite moments of inspiration with us.

I drove the length of the Great Ocean Road in January. I was the passenger and thoroughly enjoying myself, when a line from a song on the radio prompted an idea. This idea became so all-consuming that I ended up writing an entire outline around the borders of a map, and missing over half an hour of scenery and conversation. I don’t regret a second of it – that idea is likely to be my next book!

3.      How did you come up with the idea of Ask Me To Stay?

I was participating in the International 3-Day Novel Contest and I needed a novella-length story which packed an emotional punch. The idea came to me from a single sentence, something intriguing muttered by the main character, Ethan Foster, as he drove home to Hinterdown for the funeral of his late sister-in-law. Everything sort of unfolded from there. I’d had two brothers in the back of my mind for a few weeks, and I knew they were arguing. When I started to write Ask Me To Stay, I was keen to learn why they were at odds.

4.      How do you come up with your characters’ names?

I’ve only researched names once, and that was for a new adult fantasy book where every name had to mean something. In every other book I’ve written, Ask Me To Stay included, I sort of ‘meet’ my characters as one might do on the street. First, I notice their appearance; then I learn their name; then I ‘hear’ how they speak. I develop a basic bio as if I were being introduced to them.

So, as much as I choose my characters’ names, more often than not, I feel like my characters choose them themselves.

5.      If you could pick a soundtrack to match your main character’s life, what would it be?

I realised the other day that there are a few songs called Ask Me To Stay. I loved the coincidence and listened to them out of interest, and now the Olly Murs version is stuck on repeat in my mind. This song captures Ethan’s position quite well.

6.      Do you read reviews of your books? What do you do when you read a not-so-nice one?

I’m trying to train myself not to read reviews, but I’m not succeeding so far. It’s hard when people don’t connect with your story, misinterpret it or flat-out don’t like it, but it’s bound to happen. I can’t please everyone. Some of my favourite authors get bad reviews, and this grounds me, but I’ll read a dozen bad reviews if it means I get to read one excellent one. Those wonderful reviews where everything seems to click into place for the reader: they make the tough stuff much easier to bear.     

7.      Who is your literary hero?

Nora Roberts. She’s talented and prolific, and her stories stay with me long after I’ve finished them. I hope to one day have a backlist as extensive as hers.

8.      What do you need to set the mood for you to write?

I don’t need to set a mood – I just need a minimum of fifteen minutes. I write on the go; on my commute to and from work, whilst waiting in the car, just before going to bed. But if the words aren’t flowing, I listen to music I’ve come to associate with the story, or put on my slippers. There’s something about those slippers…  

9.      If there is one genre that you have not written in yet, but would love to try writing a book in that specific genre, what would it be?

New adult fantasy with romantic elements. I’ve got a number of story ideas which I’ve been messing around with for a few years, and it’s probably high time some of them were finished and submitted for consideration.

10.  How many blurbs did you have to write before the final one?

Blurbs and summaries. The bane of my passion for writing. How to condense a 110K idea into three paragraphs? If ‘brief’ came easily to me, my books would be short stories! I wrote so many iterations of the Small Town Storm blurb that I’ve lost count. I always get too enthusiastic (read: carried away) about the story, and give too much information.

I recently submitted the blurbs for the second and third Homeland books – it will be very interesting to see how much of my versions make it into the final Destiny blurbs!

11.  If you could bring one of your characters to life, who would it be? And why?

Probably Jordan Hill, the gorgeous cop with a hero complex in Small Town Storm. There’s so much about that character that I esteem in a man. He’s down-to-earth, loyal and brave. He fights for what and who he wants and yet he’s sweet-natured and vulnerable. I spent so much time with that character because it was such a long, complex plot, and sometimes I miss writing about him. He’d certainly be a blast to spend time with if he could exist beyond the page.

12.  What are you working on now?

I’m polishing the draft of the third Homeland book, Ask Me For Tomorrow. But I’m mighty distracted by a romantic comedy idea which keeps knocking on the door of my imagination. I feel like there’s a cast of characters waiting - with their arms folded, mind you - for me to start writing their story.

[And you wondered why this blog has the name it does!]

13.  Please share your favourite cocktail recipe or celebration photo.

I’m not brave enough to list measurements – I’m a tad heavy-handed when I make cocktails, but the basic ingredients include orange juice, peach schnapps, pineapple juice, blue curacao and lots of vanilla ice cream. You blend it all together until it flows thickly (like semi-melted ice cream), pour it in a martini glass and top it with a white marshmallow. It was my drink of choice in my late teens – we called it a smurf and it goes down very easy.

 

Ask Me To Stay Blurb:

Genre: Contemporary/rural, with romantic elements

When family tragedy brings bad boy Ethan Foster home, he doesn't expect a warm welcome. In the small town of Hinterdown reputation is everything - and Ethan's was ruined long ago. Nobody wants him around, particularly not Sam O'Hara, the girl he left behind.

There's still a powerful spark between them, but Sam is afraid to risk her heart again. And Ethan is hiding a secret that will have repercussions for his whole family. Will the townspeople ever forgive him? More importantly, will those he loves the most find it in their hearts to take him back?

This tender tale of love and redemption is the first in a brilliant new series by Elise K. Ackers, author of Small Town Storm and the bestselling The Man Plan.

About the author:

Elise K. Ackers is from Melbourne, Australia. She writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense and is published with Destiny Romance and Escape Publishing. Elise is an animal foster carer, a magnet for unusual accidents and an enthusiastic couch commentator. Ask Me To Stay: A Homeland Book is her fourth book. The second title in the Homeland series will be available in July 2013.

Web Links:

Website: www.elisekackers.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EliseKAckers
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elise-K-Ackers/145929782088997

Buy links:


Destiny Romance: http://www.destinyromance.com/products/9781742536118/ask-me-stay-foster-novel

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/ask-me-to-stay/id631063708?mt=11

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Ask-Me-To-Stay-ebook/dp/B00C10FE6M/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1365916147&sr=1-3&keywords=Elise+K+Ackers

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Ask-Me-To-Stay/book-r3rQIwclqUmS_CEckMRJvQ/page1.html

One of RWA’s youngest members, Whitney has achieved her dream of becoming a published author at a young age. Her debut novel, What Happens in Ireland, reflects her fascination with all things Irish. Welcome, Whitney,  and thanks for treading the boards with us today! 

1.      Are you inspired most by places, people or experiences and how do these work their way into your writing?

I think it all comes together really. The idea for my Irish series came from the planning of my own trip to Ireland. I was heading over there with my best friends and in the process of watching out the two year period until we could finally make the dream a reality, I wrote a story for each of us. Of course, none of my characters are us, but their personalities are based on ours and that made it really easy for me to flesh my characters out. When I finally made it to Ireland of course, my stories changed. Having dangled over the side of Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney stone (not that I needed to :P), explored the Ring of Kerry on horseback and walked through the streets of Dublin at night, myself, really helped me to solidify the atmosphere I hoped to find in Ireland. Ireland is a magical place and I guess when I wrote my stories, I hoped that my time there would be just as wonderful as it was for my heroine, Kate. J

2.      Please share one of your favourite moments of inspiration with us.

To be honest, there were so many moments. It was as if I’d predicted my stay (not the romance of course, though I wouldn’t have minded meeting Jack O’Reilly in a Dublin bar), through my novel. In fact, I think every day was an inspiration. Getting soaked to the bone when it rained unexpectedly in Belfast, hanging over the side of Blarney Castle, singing along with the locals in the Killarney Grand and Temple Bar. They were all moments which inspired me and really influenced my story.

3.      How did you come up with the idea of What Happens in Ireland?

Haha, gosh… I don’t know. It was a little like when the story first appeared in my head. I was on the bus and Bam, there it was. The final chapter. It was actually the first chapter I wrote. And then it came again. The title. I’m a spur of the moment kind of writer. I plan, but I try not to deviate too much from the original. I think you write in the moment and that is an act of fate. J

4.      How do you come up with your characters’ names?

I’ve always loved the name Kate. And well, Jack just became Jack. I didn’t search for names, they just popped up in my head.

5.      Who would you cast for a movie/TV series as your main characters if given the chance?

If I was going for my favourite actor, I’d say Gerard Butler. But Jack’s not quite Gerard. He’s more of a cross between Ryan Gosling and Colin Farrel. So probably one of them.

Haha, funny how I started with Jack… Truth is, I wish I was Kate. Though I’d probably give him an easier time than Kate did.

As for Kate… I’m not sure. Maybe Scarlet Johansen? Just because I love her haha.

6.      If you could pick a soundtrack to match your main character’s life, what would it be?

I’m not sure it suits their life, but ‘Shut your eyes’ by Snow Patrol was the song I always listened to when I was planning and writing. I must have listened to it and a few other songs by them a billion times!

7.      What is your favourite holiday?

Saint Patrick’s day of course! Haha, no, I’ll be honest, it’s actually my second favourite. I love Christmas as it brings my family together and we all have such a great time.

8.      How many times were you turned down before you finally got published?

It was funny, I received a fair few rejections. I’m not sure how many exactly as I didn’t choose to dwell on them. But I also received two re-write and resubmit requests and some fabulous rejections which encouraged me to submit the rest of my work, though unfortunately, this story wasn’t what they were looking for.

And then I found a home with Secret Cravings Publishing. J

9.      What is your favorite book of all time that you can reread a hundred times, and it still feels like the first time?

I sort of have authors I do that with. I love all of Eloisa James novels and I’m a big fan of Rachael Treasure. I’ve re-read a lot of their books and probably always will.

10.  What do you need to set the mood for you to write?

I like to play music and generally, I do need to be in a mood. I need to have a clear head, unless of course, it’s full of the makings of a scene. J

11.  If there is one genre that you have not written in yet, but would love to try writing a book in that specific genre, what would it be?

I have plans to write a few Historicals. I love them! Judith McNaught is one of my big inspirations as well and I’d love to write novels like hers one day.

12.  How many blurbs did you have to write before the final one?

Ha! Too many. The changing of one word did so much. And with only 150 words to use, you have to get it right.

13.  If you could bring one of your characters to life, who would it be? And why?

Jack. I think I might have already answered this question lol. He’d the love of my life. His only competition is his brother, William. And why? Tall, dark and sexy Irishman who is cheeky-by-nature. Why not is the real question, if you ask me hehe.

14.  What are you working on now?

Edits! I’m currently editing two of my manuscripts, the second in my Irish series and a Rural Romance set in Australia.

15.  Would you like to share an excerpt from your writing or a photo or music link that inspires you?

This is the Ha’Penny Bridge in Dublin. It inspired the ending of my novel. I’m no photographer, but I  can assure you, there is something magical about watching the sunset from the Ha’Penny Bridge.

 

16.  Please share your favourite cocktail recipe or celebration photo.

I love Toblerones.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

60ml Baileys
60ml Kahlua
60ml Frangelico
60ml crème de cacao
600ml carton pouring cream
2 cups ice
Honey to drizzle
Chopped, roasted almonds

Toblerone shavings

METHOD

First, decorate the glass by drizzling with 1 teaspoon of honey then add one teaspoon of Toblerone shavings into your glass. Shake glass around so that the chocolate sticks to honey.

Next, pour in the alcohols, cream and ice into a blender and blend until combined. Then just pour into your glasses, decorate with shavings and almonds and enjoy!

Whitney’s Novel:

Ever wondered what happens in Ireland?

When Australian, Kate Barrow, meets a handsome Irishman in a Dublin bar, she has no idea that he’s about to turn her world upside-down and inside-out.

In Ireland to take on a position on a thoroughbred stud, Kate is shocked when her manager-in-co reveals himself to be the same man she’d met in Dublin.

Jack is drawn to Kate. The problem is, she won't have him. But Jack has always loved a challenge and the intriguing woman from Oz is one he cannot resist.

Harbouring the sting of another man’s betrayal, Kate is certain she wants nothing to do with love and nothing to do with Jack O’Reilly. But when naked torsos, Mother Nature and dysfunctional umbrellas start plotting against her resolve, she realizes the charms of an Irishman are going to be hard to resist.

The Author:

Whitney K-E is an Australian author writing for Secret Cravings Publishing. Always a lover of the Romance genre, it was no surprise that she one day began to type her first story of love. Now, three years on, she’s contracted her first novel What Happens in Ireland and bringing reader’s tales from the Emerald Ireland to the Sunburnt Country. What Happens in Ireland releases on the 26th of April, so prepare yourself to be charmed by her story and by her characters.

If you’d like to find out more about Whitney or her novel, you can connect with her on:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Whitney-K-E-Romance-Author/311522372250495

Twitter: @whitney_ke - https://twitter.com/Whitney_KE

Her blog: http://whitneyk-e.blogspot.com.au/

And the Romantic Muse: http://theromanticmuse.blogspot.com.au/

 

ANNIE WEST writes wonderful contemporary romances with feisty heroines and hunky heroes. I love her sheiks and I love her settings which she evokes with skill and perception. And she’s offering a give away of one of her titles to one lucky commentator. Read on to find out more…

Welcome, Annie, and thanks for treading the boards with us today!

Thanks, Susanne, it’s lovely of you to invite me along! I’m so pleased to be here.

 

1.      Are you inspired most by places, people or experiences and how do these work their way into your writing?

I think it all ends up in the mix. Often it’s only after I’ve written a book that I can identify how scenes or characters’ reactions might have been influenced by certain things. That’s always fun and often surprising. The sense of place is very important for me, even if a good deal of description is cut out in the editing, so having a feel for locations is important. As for people and experiences – I suspect all writers draw on emotions and interactions they have experienced. On the other hand, I’d never write a book based on someone real.

2.      Please share one of your favourite moments of inspiration with us.

I was working one day when the title ‘The Unwanted Wife’ popped into my head. I liked it so much I wrote it down. That wasn’t enough though. I found myself pondering who she was and why she was unwanted, even though I was in the middle of another book at the time. I was so desperate to discover the answer I asked lots of writer friends why she might be unwanted and every time I knew, within seconds of them explaining their idea, why that wasn’t right. Not that they weren’t good ideas, but they weren’t right for this wife. Finally, finally, I discovered why she was unwanted. She’d turned up at her husband’s estate on the very night he was holding a high profile party to celebrate his engagement to another woman. He, of course, had believed his wife to be dead. As soon as I worked that out I knew I had to write it. That story became ‘The Greek Tycoon’s Unexpected Wife’.

Titles are often difficult to pin down; this has to be one of the most interesting approaches to writing – beginning with a title then asking all the right questions to draw out the story.

3.      Who would you cast for a movie/TV series as your main characters if given the chance?

I don’t usually cast actors in the starring roles of my books, except for some reason in the case of my most recent release: ‘Captive in the Spotlight’. For that one the actors were so easy to choose: Joe Manganiello for Domenico and  Diane Kruger for Lucy.

I think Joe inspires everyone! And yes, I can ‘see’ him as Domenico!

4.      What is your favourite holiday?

Hard to choose but I’ve just been looking at photos of a holiday I spend in the Dordogne region of France with my husband. Great company, excellent food, picturesque towns, romantic castles and lazy, sunny days – it was fantastic!

5.      Do you read reviews of your books? What do you do when you read a not-so-nice one?

Generally I try not to, though when I’m alerted by a reviewer I’ll check it out. As for negative reviews – I remind myself that everyone has different tastes. I saw a negative review once that seemed to be based on an intense dislike of a character’s name. You never know what else, in addition to the story you’ve written, affects how much people enjoy your work or not.

6.      How many times were you turned down before you finally got published?

Multiple times. Sorry – I haven’t gone back to count them up. But on the positive side I did sell the first short story I’d ever written to a national magazine. That gave me such a boost and made me hope I could sell my novels one day.

7.      If you could meet anyone, alive or dead, and spend an hour with them who and why?

I’ve always been completely fascinated by the idea of meeting people from the past. I think it’s because I’ve always been a history buff. Asking me to choose one single person is impossible. I’d opt for a Tardis, and like Dr Who, I’d have no trouble understanding and speaking whatever language I needed. Wouldn’t that be marvellous?

Can I hitch a ride please?

8.      What is your favorite book of all time that you can reread a hundred times, and it still feels like the first time?

I can never choose one favourite. My reread book used to be ‘Lord of the Rings’ but I’m finding I go for something shorter now. Give me a Georgette Heyer or perhaps Loretta Chase’s ‘Mr Impossible’.

9.      What do you need to set the mood for you to write?

Quiet or alternatively white noise like voices in the background. I’ve been known to write in cafes or playgrounds, but if I can tune into a conversation or the lyrics of a song it messes with the writing.

10.  If there is one genre that you have not written in yet, but would love to try writing a book in that specific genre, what would it be?

I love historicals and romantic suspense but I’m not sure I’ll ever try publishing in either.

11.  How many blurbs did you have to write before the final one?

Well, the truth is, I don’t get the chance. My publisher writes them. When I read the back cover copy it’s always intriguing to see what they come up with!

12.  What are you working on now?

It’s a marriage of convenience story though I’ve only just realised that! Thanks for asking, Susanne – it’s good to have such things clear in my mind (G). It’s about a couple who come together through mutual lust then through duty, never expecting love to blossom. Poor things. Why do I always like to torture my characters?

(You know you love doing it, Annie!)

13.  Would you like to share an excerpt from your writing or a photo or music link that inspires you?  From ‘Captive in the Spotlight’ (This excerpt is posted by arrangement with Harlequin Books SA):

The camera crews parted. There, striding towards her was the man she'd expected never to see again: Domenico Volpe, shouldering through the rabble, eyes locked on her. He seemed oblivious to the snapping shutters as the cameras went into overdrive and newsmen gabbled into microphones.

   He wore a grey suit with the slightest sheen, as if it were woven from black pearls. His shirt was pure white, his tie perfection in dark silk.

   He looked the epitome of Italian wealth and breeding. Not a wrinkle marred his clothes or the elegant lines of his face. Only his eyes, boring into hers, spoke of something less than cool control.

   A spike of heat plunged right through her belly as she held his eyes.

   He stopped before her and Lucy had to force herself not to crane her head to look up at him. Instead she focused on the hand he held out to her.

   The paper crackled as she took it.

   Come with me. The words were in slashing black ink on a page from a pocketbook. I can get you away from this. You'll be safe.

   Her head jerked up.

   'Safe?' With him?

   He nodded. 'Yes.'

   Around them journalists craned to hear. One tried to snatch the note from Lucy's hand. She crumpled it in her fist.

   It was mad. Bizarre. He couldn't want to help her. Yet she wasn't fool enough to think she could stay here. Trouble was brewing and she'd be at the centre of it.

   Still she hesitated. This close, Lucy was aware of the strength in those broad shoulders, in that tall frame and his square olive-skinned hands. Once that blatant male power had left her breathless. Now it threatened.

   But if he'd wanted to harm her physically he'd have found a way long before this.

   He leaned forward. She stiffened as his whispered words caressed her cheek. 'Word of a Volpe.'

   He withdrew, but only far enough to look her in the eye. He stood in her personal space, his lean body warming her and sending ripples of a tension through her.

   She knew he was proud. Haughty. Loyal. A powerful man. A dangerously clever one. But everything she'd read, and she'd read plenty, indicated he was a man of his word. He wouldn't sully his ancient family name or his pride by lying.

   She hoped.

   Jerkily she nodded.

   'Va bene.' He eased the case from her white-knuckled grip and turned, propelling her through the crowd with his palm at her back, its heat searing through her clothes.

   Questions rang out but Domenico Volpe ignored them. With his support Lucy rallied and managed not to stumble. Then suddenly there was blissful space, a cordon of security men, the open limousine door.

   This time Lucy needed no urging. She scrambled in and settled herself on the far side of the wide rear seat.

   The door shut behind him and the car accelerated away before she'd gathered herself.

   'My bag!'

   'It's in the boot. Quite safe.'

   Safe. There it was again. The word she'd never associated with Domenico Volpe.

   Slowly Lucy turned. She was exhausted, weary beyond imagining after less than an hour at the mercy of the paparazzi, but she couldn't relax, even in this decadently luxurious vehicle.

   Deep-set grey eyes met hers. This time they looked stormy rather than glacial. Lucy was under no illusions he wanted her here, with him. Despite the nonchalant stretch of his long legs, crossed at the ankles, there was tightness in his shoulders and jaw.

   'What do you want?'

   'To rescue you from the press.'

   Lucy shook her head. 'No.'

   'No?' One dark eyebrow shot up towards his hairline. 'You call me a liar?'

   'If you'd been interested in rescuing me you'd have done it years ago when it mattered. But you dropped me like a hot potato.'

   Her words sucked the oxygen from the limousine, leaving a heavy, clogging atmosphere of raw emotion. Lucy drew a deep breath, uncaring that he noted the agitated rise and fall of her breasts as she struggled for air.

   'You're talking about two different things.' His tone was cool.

   'You think?' She paused. 'You're playing semantics. The last thing you want is to rescue me.'

   'Then let us say merely that your interests and mine coincide this time.'

   'How?' She leaned forward, as if a closer view would reveal the secrets he kept behind that patrician façade of calm. 'I can't see what we have in common.'

   He shook his head, turning more fully. Lucy became intensely aware of the strength hidden behind that tailored suit as his shoulders blocked her view of the street.

   A jitter of curious sensation sped down her backbone and curled deep within. It disturbed her.

   'Then you have an enviably short memory, Ms Knight. Even you can't deny we're linked by a tie that binds us forever, however much I wish it otherwise.'

   'But that's-'

   'In the past?' His lip curled in a travesty of a smile. 'Yet it's a truth I live with every day.' His eyes glowed, luminous with emotions she'd once thought him too cold to feel. His voice deepened to a low, bone-melting hum. 'Nothing will ever take away the fact that you killed my brother.'



 

14.  Please share your favourite cocktail recipe or celebration photo.

I love bubbly for a celebration, and really, life is full of things we ought to celebrate and usually don’t. My current favourite celebration cocktail is a nip of Chambord (French black raspberry liqueur) topped up with sparkling wine. The only problem is that it slips down very easily so beware!

Kir Royale! I should have guessed you’d be a champagne lover, Annie!

Thanks for taking a star turn today, Annie, and for your kind offer of one of your fabulous books.

Annie has kindly offered to give away one of her titles to someone who shares the most unusual or memorable premise they remember for a romance. So what’s yours?

Kate Belle had a ‘yearning’ to be an author and Simon & Schuster obliged by picking up her work after she ‘broke the rules’ and bloomed (how’d I do, Kate?)

Welcome, Kate, and thanks for treading the boards with us today!

Thanks for having me Susanne – oops – sorry - I think I might have just scratched your lovely floorboards with my heels! Never been good on these things. Nothing a bit of sandpaper and polish won’t fix (grins hopefully).

High heels are so elegant, any damage will be excused!

1.      Are you inspired most by places, people or experiences and how do these work their way into your writing?

Quirky things inspire me, odd snippets of conversations, dream images, awkward moments in lifts, strange characters – like a toddler I once saw in a pram with HUGE hair. Grown up hair. I kept staring at her thinking, what’s a kid doing with hair like that? Why doesn’t her mother cut it? That little girl will find her way into one of my stories one day. If you see a woman staring quizzically at you on the street, say hi, it’s probably me.

2.      How did you come up with the idea of The Yearning?

The Yearning began as a collection of unsent love notes I’d written over many years to unattainable lovers, as well as a cluster of short stories and pointless prose. The story built itself around a short piece that eventually became The Union chapter, where the young girl and her teacher, Solomon, first make love. I wrote the original piece in a breathless rush and it pulsated in a drawer, much like the erotic love notes Solomon collects from his young student, until it grew some bones and fleshed itself out into a novel.

3.      How do you come up with your characters’ names?

My female protagonist is anonymous for the majority of the novel. I did this deliberately for two reasons. I wanted her to be a kind of every woman, because the issues she struggles with I think are common to many, many women. It was also a way of showing how invisible she felt in her life. How everyone else’s agendas dominated her decisions and choices. Her name is only revealed at the very end when she is ready to stand on her own two feet.

The names are biblical because the journey through the novel is a spiritual journey of discovery of love. Solomon is derived from The Song of Solomon, a beautiful biblical poem about love, lust, sex and loss. Quotes from this are peppered throughout the novel. I didn’t have a name for the girl until the 11th hour. My very fabulous agent, Sheila Drummond, came up with a suggestion (a biblical one) and I knew immediately it was perfect.

4.      If you could pick a soundtrack to match your main character’s life, what would it be?

I wrote The Yearning to a CD – Seduction by Luminesca, an Australian guitar/cello duo. The music is so beautiful, so sensual, it really captured the quality of what my characters were feeling for each other whenever they came together.

  Amazon BUY LINK

5.      Do you read reviews of your books? What do you do when you read a not-so-nice one?

My first two erotic romance ebooks (Breaking the Rules and Bloom) were published in February 2013. For a little while I couldn’t tear myself away from the reviews, until the not so great ones started turning up. I had to suppress the urge to explain myself, or excuse myself, or defend myself, and, after spending a fair bit of money on red wine to drown my self-pity and doubt, I got over it and realised I CAN’T write to please EVERYONE. Die-hard-happy-ever-after addicts, who need the hero to be after ramming a ring on the heroine’s finger, don’t take to my style of story. That’s okay – there’s plenty of material out there for them. Women (and men) who enjoy a sensual story that inspires their imagination and a desire to explore and question, love my work.

That said, I do try to learn from the more informed and eloquent not-so-good reviews. If there is something constructive offered within a review, I will attend to it and use it to improve my work.

6.      How many times were you turned down before you finally got published?

Not as many as I expected. My agent is pretty savvy and was very strategic about when and who she sent the manuscript to. It was probably rejected 5 or 6 times before it found a perfect home with Simon & Schuster.

7.      What reason(s) did the publishers give for their rejection of your manuscript?

This was interesting, and funny. ‘Too literary’ for commercial publishers, ‘Too didactic’ for literary publishers, ‘Too dated’ (1970’s setting) for another publisher. Many publishers were uncomfortable that the young girl is barely 16 when she engages in a sexual relationship with Solomon, unsure how readers would respond to it. But given this is what the novel is about, it was a non-negotiable as far as I was concerned. For the most part the rejections were extremely complimentary and constructive. Publishers, on the whole, are pretty nice people. Writers should remember that.

8.      If there is one genre that you have not written in yet, but would love to try writing a book in that specific genre, what would it be?

You’ll laugh! Children’s books. My daughter and I have half a dozen story ideas we’ve developed over the years together (she’s 8 now). Having a child around is a great way to get inspiration for children’s stories. They are so playful and imaginative. I’m a lover and collector of children’s literature, so it would be wonderful to have an opportunity to write in this genre one day.

(I look forward to discovering your other side!)

9.      How many blurbs did you have to write before the final one?

Literally hundreds. Synopses and blurbs are THE hardest things to write, but great for writing practice. And great for really getting a strong handle on what your story is about. Try cramming 80,000 words into a paragraph or two! Tough gig!

**I’d like to add that Kate and I first ‘met’ in an online synopsis/blurb writing workshop. Funny thing is, we each recognised the other’s synopsis much, much later and reconnected!

10.  If you could bring one of your characters to life, who would it be? And why?

Ramon Mendez. Read the novellas. It’s obvious why.

11.  What are you working on now?

My second novel (working title Saint – but I’m not sure that’s the one that will stick). It’s another dark, sensual love story and I can’t wait to finish it. It’s still evolving, but the broad synopsis goes like this:

Solid, reliable Banjo, is killed in a hit and run accident after walking out on a furious argument with Jade, his wild wife of twenty years. As the police search for the driver responsible, Jade falls into deep depression and Banjo’s spirit watches, tormented by one question: Did Jade love him above all others?

Their daughter, Lissy, is desperate to revive her mother. When she discovers a secret, artistic journal chronicling Jade’s extra-marital relationships, she contacts some of the men with whom Jade shared her body and heart in the hope that one might rouse her from her wilful stupor. Banjo’s in spirit and Lissy in life watch as a long line of ex-lovers show up to urge Jade to live, each shedding some light on the mystery that was Jade and Banjo’s lasting marriage. Saint is a story of unconditional love, sacrifice and a woman born with the absolute courage to be herself.

(I can’t wait to read this one too, Kate! Love your ideas!)

Thanks for having me Susanne, and great to meet you all. Please pop by my website or blog and leave a comment or follow if you like what you see. I love to hear from readers and readers to be.

 

The Yearning

First love. Forbidden love. A young girl’s desire. A teacher’s seduction.

A yearning that should never be fulfilled.

It's 1978 in an Australian country town and a dreamy fifteen-year-old girl's world is turned upside down by the arrival of the substitute English teacher. Solomon Andrews is beautiful, inspiring, and she wants him like nothing else she's wanted in her short life. Charismatic and unconventional, Solomon easily wins the hearts and minds of his third form English class. He notices the attention of one girl, his new neighbour, who has taken to watching him from her upstairs window. He assumes it a harmless teenage crush, until the erotic love notes begin to arrive. Solomon knows he must resist, but her sensual words stir him. He has longings of his own, although they have nothing to do with love, or so he believes. One afternoon, as he stands reading her latest offering in his driveway, she turns up unannounced. They must make a decision, and its consequences will haunt them until they meet again twenty years later.

Charismatic and unconventional, Solomon easily wins the hearts and minds of his third form English class. He notices the attention of one girl, his new neighbour, who has taken to watching him from her upstairs window. He assumes it a harmless teenage crush, until erotic love notes begin to arrive in his letterbox.

Solomon knows he must resist, but her sensual words stir him. He has longings of his own, although they have nothing to do with love, or so he believes. One afternoon, as he stands reading her latest offering in his driveway, she turns up unannounced. Each must make a choice, the consequences of which will haunt them until they meet again twenty five years later.

The Yearning Ebook 1 April 2013

Amazon buy link http://www.amazon.com/The-Yearning-ebook/dp/B00BSVMRC4/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1364205570&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=The+Yearning+by+Kate+Belle

iTunes buy link https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/the-yearning/id576561492?mt=11

The Yearning Paperback 1 May 2013

Booktopia buy link http://www.booktopia.com.au/the-yearning-kate-belle/prod9781922052643.html

Erotic romance novellas: The first two in Master of Love series featuring the handsome and charismatic Ramon Mendez, a masterful lover changing women’s lives by awakening their sexual potential.

• Breaking the Rules: iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/breaking-the-rules/id587669259?mt=11) & Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Breaking+the+Rules+by+Kate+Belle
• Bloom: iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/bloom/id587669283?mt=11) & Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Bloom-Random-Romance-ebook/dp/B00ANG3YKY/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_t_1)

Author Bio

Kate is a woman of many passions who juggles her pens with the rest of her life. She holds a tertiary qualification in chemistry, half a diploma in naturopathy and a diploma in psychological astrology. Kate believes in living a passionate life and has ridden a camel through the Australian desert, fraternised with hippies in Nimbin, had a near birth experience and lived on nothing but porridge and a carrot for 3 days.

Kate has received literary commendations and prizes under another pseudonym and has had a number of literary and commercial works published. She writes and loves in Melbourne, juggling her strange, secret affairs with her male characters with her much loved partner and daughter, and a menagerie of neurotic pets.

Blog/website: http://www.ecstasyfiles.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/katebelle.x

Twitter: @ecstasyfiles

For all titles by Kate Belle please follow this link.