My Thoughts About Literary Arts
Time 2021-11-05 20:10:18Web Name: My Thoughts About Literary Arts
WebSite: http://agnes-books.blogspot.com
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INTERVIEW WITH LUCINDA RILEYBY AGNES A. ROSE
Lucinda Riley was born in Ireland and she lived for the first six yearsof her life in a tiny village called Drumbeg. Lucinda and her family movedacross to England where she started school. Being a child, if she wasntreading and writing stories or at ballet lessons, she was dressing up in hermothers old ball gowns the moment she came home from school and becoming aprincess, with a storyline that could last for weeks. When she was nine yearsold, she played a child murderess in The Bad Seed. At fourteen, she went toLondon to full-time dance and drama school. At sixteen, she got a leading rolein the BBC television series called The Story of the Treasure Seekers. And for the next seven years, she acted professionallyin theatre and TV. She also got married to an actor. At twenty-three, she fellill. Then she turned to her imagination to help her through and while in bed,she wrote her first book, Lovers and Players. One of her friends read it andpassed it onto an agent. Finally, she was offered a three-book contract. So farshe has written many books but the most popular seems to be The Seven SistersSeries. A few weeks ago The Butterfly Room was released in Poland.
Agnes Anne Rose:Thankyou so much that you accepted my invitation to take part in this interview. Iam very honored that I can host you here and talk to you. As most of authorsyou also started writing stories when you were a child. Could you tell ussomething more about it?
Lucinda Riley:Writing has always been a passion of minesince I was a small child I was always making up stories, and when I laterworked as an actress, I would re-write my characters plot in my head. However,I didnt start writing in earnest until I was 22.
Roni Rekomaa
AAR: As I mentioned above, The Seven Sisters Series seemsto be the most popular of all your books. How did you come up with the idea for this series?
LR: In January 2013, I wassearching for my next story but wanted to find an overarching angle to addanother element to my past/present writing, something that would challenge andexcite me and my readers. I had always watched the stars especially theSeven Sisters in the belt of Orion, and on that frosty night in North Norfolk,I looked up to the heavens, and, thinking also of our own children, came upwith the idea for a seven book series based allegorically on the legends of theSeven Sisters constellation.
AAR: Which part of the above novel series did youwrite the easiest and which one was the most difficult to write?
LR: The easiest book in the series was the first Maiasstory. The most challenging has been the most recent one, The Sun Sister,Electras story. With each book, the series gets more complex, not only interms of the themes and the historical content, but also in terms of the plotitself there are so many strands that I have to mentally keep hold of, andnow at Book 6, the mysteries are all beginning to come to a conclusionalthough I cant give any secrets away just yet. Youll have to wait for Book7!
This is the Polish edition ofThe Girl on the Cliff
LR: My inspiration is alwayssparked by an evocative location that begins the 'feeling'. I was born in Irelandand lived in West Cork and loved its windswept rawness. Extreme locations arealways exciting to me because they are dramatic and of course, romantic. Thethought of a vulnerable child, barefoot and alone during the Atlantic stormsthat used to break with such fury when I lived there with my own smallchildren, gave me the character of Aurora, the narrator of the book.
AAR: Your next book that left the greatestimpression on me was The Angel Tree. I couldnt stop thinking about it for avery long time. In this book, you focus on very difficult relationships betweena mother and a daughter. Why did you decide to tell your readers this kind ofstory and how much difficult it was for you to create Cheska?
LR: I met some fascinating characters during my time as ayoung actress, on the London stage and in film and television. Actors, inparticular, tend to be a tortured bunch, with the public face often verydifferent to the reality of the human being behind it. Unless of course, theystart to believe their own myth and the fantasy world they inhabit, as Cheskadoes. When I met my husband Stephen some years after I wrote the book, I foundout that he had known someone very much like Cheska Id also experienced beingin the spotlight and have a number of close friends who are famous in theirfield or married to someone who is, so Ive learned first hand how fame canaffect people. The whole concept of fame terrifies me, so when I was writingabout Cheska and the extremes of her fame and lack of freedom, I put a lot ofmy own fears into that. To be honest, I have no idea why anyone would go out oftheir way to seek fame for its own sake like todays reality TV stars seem todo. I treasure and protect my private life and my family theyre what keepsme sane.
AAR: Your first book Lovers and Playersyou wrote as Lucinda Edmonds. It tells about the lives and love of three youngwomen. What made you write your first book? Can your readers still buy it eventhough it was published almost thirteen years ago?
LR: I began to write Lovers and Players at22 when I became ill with glandular fever. As I was not able to work, the novelwas completed in one fell swoop and was mainly inspired by my experiences ofliving in London and the people I had met. Its currently out of print,although I do have a copy of it on my shelf perhaps one day Ill take a lookat it again and re-write it.
AAR: Why did you stop writing books underthe name Lucinda Edmonds?
LR: I got married in 2000 and decided to focus completely on my familyof four children although that didnt stop me from simply writing for myself!During that time, I wrote a few manuscripts, some of which eventually becameThe Olive Tree and The Butterfly Room, and used my married name of LucindaRiley from that point.
This is the Polish edition ofThe Butterfly Room
LR: The Butterfly Room began itslife as a manuscript I wrote almost ten years ago called Red Admiral, whichis a type of butterfly. I decided to revisit it after finishing The MoonSister in 2018. At first, I thought it would be a light summer project something to take my mind off the more challenging Seven Sisters series.However, as The Butterfly Room developed, I found myself rewriting the entiremanuscript, adding and deleting characters and plotlines. Since writing theinitial manuscript, I realized I had grown a great deal as an author, and manyof the characters gained more depth and complexity.
AAR: On the pages of some of your books,you invite readers to visit some exotic countries. I mean Hothouse Flower orThe Midnight Rose. Could you tell us something about the research? Did youvisit Thailand and India?
LR: I travel to all the places thatI write about. In the case of Orchid House, we were actually living inThailand at the time for a while, our family had a house on Koh Chang, theisland where a part of the book is set, and it is one of my favourite places inthe world. For The Midnight Rose I travelled to India and visited the Moon Palace in Jaipur whereId imagined Anahita living. I also stayed at the amazing Rambagh Palace whichis now a hotel, still owned by the royal family of Jaipur and where they areregularly seen playing polo. I also went to Mumbai, where Ari lives, CoochBehar up in the north and New Delhi. The architecture and landscapes in Indiaare truly breathtaking!
AAR: I know you have very close contactwith your readers living all over the world. How important for authors is to beonline?
LR: The world is becoming moretechnology-based year by year and I think its incredibly important to finddifferent ways of reaching your audience. Social media allows direct contact with readers all over theworld. When I was an author twenty years ago, there was no such thing asFacebook, Twitter, YouTube or even private websites, and I would do a lot of mypublicity in bookshops and during book tours. Today, however, my 2-minuteinspiration videos can reach readers all over the world, and the feedback I getis amazing and is a constant inspiration to keep writing. I also did the first everlive Google Hangout Q A in Brazil which was watched over 200,000 times.
AAR: What is the greatest challenge youhave faced in your career as an author?
LR: In 1998 I moved publisher to Pan Macmillanwith a two-book deal and released Seeing Double (now re-written and publishedas The Love Letter), a book which involved a story about members of theBritish royal family, in 1999. At the time Pan Macmillan was going throughrestructuring and it was not a good time for them to publish anything. Inaddition, many people felt that the story was not welcome by theEstablishment, and the book did well in Ireland, but all the orders werecancelled in the UK. We will never know what really happened!
This is the Polish edition ofThe Angel Tree
AAR: When you are writing in your study, do youimagine what your very large audience will think about a character or anincident?
LR: When I am writing, I try not to think of anythingelse except for the characters and the setting I cant allow myself to beswayed, or to feel pressured by the knowledge that millions of people will bereading what Im writing! The characters live in my head and tell their storiesthrough me, so dictating the first draft into my trusty Dictaphone is a veryprivate process.
AAR: How long does it take you to complete abook, from the time the idea for the book is conceived, to when you submit itto your editor?
LR: I realised that fromconception to giving birth, all the books take nine months, just like apregnancy. Weird, but true. I start with the research process, which includes readingall the books I can get my hands on and travelling around the location. Then Idictate the first draft and pass it on to my editorial assistant to type up.Once the first draft is complete, I begin the editing process, which is themost intense part I go over each sentence dozens of times, playing RubiksCube with the words to make sure everything is perfect.
AAR: Youve achieved so much as a writer andcareer woman. Is there any goal you feel you have yet to attain?
LR: I absolutely love what Ido, and having had my time in the wilderness as a writer, I appreciate every singlemoment of whats happened now. I work 24/7 and gain enormous satisfaction fromputting the stories in my head on paper and seeing them published around theworld even if I get rich I would still always write. Currently, all myenergies are devoted to the Seven Sisters series, but I already have a lot ofideas in mind for future projects. My goal is simply to write until I drop!
AAR: How can you be so productive with so manyoutside and family obligations? How do you keep a balance between home andwork?
LR: I have to take myself offfor two or three weeks and live like a hermit, working eighteen hours a daywriting the first draft. Once this is finished and Im onto the technicalediting stage rather than the creative part, Im able to work from home andspend time with my family. However, like any working mother, Im permanentlyexhausted and perform the usual juggling act that any mother with kids and afull-time job will recognize!
AAR: You told me that you are working on theseventh part of The Seven Sisters Series.Could you tell us something more about it? What can your readers expect fromthis book?
LR: Im very secretive about thefuture of the Seven Sisters series readers write to me all the time asking tohave their theories about #whoispasalt and the missing sister confirmed. AllI can say for now is that I have just begun the research process on Book 7 infact, I have recently been on a journey, following in the footsteps of themissing sisterAAR: Lucinda,thank you so much for this interesting and pleasant conversation. This is veryimportant to me because I know you are very busy at work, so thank you verymuch once again. Is it anything you would like to tell your Polish readers? InPoland, you have a lot of fans who always look forward to each of your nextbooks.
LR: Thank you so much for all of your insightfulquestions! And Id like to say DZIĘKUJĘ CI to all of my Polish readers for yoursupport and kind words I receive so many messages from Poland and theymotivate me a great deal in my writing. Im wishing you all a peaceful winterand a happy new year!
This is the Polish edition of Seven Sisters series
If you want to read this interview in Polish, please click here.
No comments: Labels:British literature,interview,Lucinda Riley Monday, 2 December 2019 I try to give my stories an uplifting feel by bringing Gods hope...
INTERVIEW WITH SUSAN ANNE MASONBY AGNES A. ROSE
Susan Anne Mason is a Canadian author who writes romance novels with a spiritualleaning to them. Her objective is to create heartwarming stories aboutforgiveness and redemption. She was always a reader and a writer and those twoactivities were part of her life for as long as she can remember. She got herstart as a teenager. Although her first novel was rejected, the author did notgive up. Over thirty years later, she took up the craft again and finally gotpublished! Susan lives in a suburb near Toronto, where she works part-time as achurch secretary. She is a wife and the mother of two amazing kids, and amember of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers ofAmerica (RWA). In addition to writing, she likes to scrapbook and to researchher family history on-line. So far five of her books have been published inPoland. These are THE COURAGE TO DREAM SERIES (IRISH MEADOWS, A WORTHY HEART andLOVES FAITHFUL PROMISE), A MOST NOBLE HEIR and THE BEST OF INTENTIONS which isthe first part of THE CANADIAN CROSSINGS SERIES.
Agnes AnneRose: Susan, I am very honored that you acceptedmy invitation to take part in this interview and now I can talk to you. InSeptember your book THE BEST OF INTENTIONS was released in Poland. As Imentioned above, this novel is the first part of THE CANADIAN CROSSINGS SERIES.Could you tell us something more about the book and the whole series?
Susan AnneMason: Hi Agnes! Its so nice to meet you. The CanadianCrossing books came about because I wanted a series where the books werent sotightly linked. I adored the Courage to Dream series, but I felt those booksneeded to be read in order which is hard for some readers. So the CanadianCrossings series is about three people who meet on a ship crossing from Englandto Canada, and each book is one persons story, not directly linked to theother.
The Best of Intentions is about Grace Abernathy who iscoming to find her widowed sister, Rose and her infant son. Grace plans toconvince Rose to come back to England with her, but everything changes when sheis met with tragic news, and she becomes determined to make sure her nephew,Christian, is safe. Grace uses an assumed name to secure the positon ofChristians nanny and moves into the Easton estate. In the course of her new job,she is shocked to find herself falling in love with Andrew Easton, the boysguardian. Unfortunately, Andrew is engaged to aspoiled socialite who is sure to make a terrible stepmother for Christian. Gracehas to try her best to protect her nephew. . . and her heart.
AAR: THE COURAGE TO DREAM SERIES tells the storyof the Irish OLeary family. Just like the above novel series, this one is alsoincluded in historical fiction. What inspired you to write about people fromIreland? Was it your Irish roots on both sides of your family tree?
SAM: Youre right, Agnes! My Irish heritage was a big partof wanting to write about an Irish family. In addition, Ive always lovedfamily sagas. One series that I loved as a teen was THE THORNBIRDS, a novelabout an Irish family who move to Australia. It was a televised mini-series inCanada, and every week I waited to find out what was happening with Meggie.Some of the elements in that series inspired me for IRISH MEADOWS.
AAR: Which of your Irish characters is closest toyou and why?
SAM: My favorite character was Rylan Montgomery, but Iwould say I felt closest to Brianna OLeary. As a young woman, I was a lot likeher quiet, intimidated by authority figures, and always wanting to please thepeople around me. So Briannas journey to finding herself and finding theability to stand up for herself was one I could really relate to.
AAR:I read on the Internet that it took you a decadebefore you got published IRISH MEADOWS. Why?
SAM: Thats a complicated question! I was starting writingagain for fun when my children were young, never really intending to getpublished. It took over two years to write one book (which was terrible, by theway). Then I discovered the Toronto Romance Writers, began to attend seminars,and got immersed in the writing world. Before that, I had felt totally alone,not knowing any other writers. I began to learn more about the craft of writinguntil my work was good enough to win a writing contest and gain the attentionof a Bethany House editor who offered me a three book contract!
This is the Polish edition of THE COURAGE TO DREAM SERIES
Published by DREAMS
Translated by Anna Pliś
AAR: A few weeks ago I read A MOST NOBLE HEIR. Iwas very impressed with this book. I think that this is the most beautiful bookcombined Christian values and ordinary human life. What made you write thisnovel?
SAM: I actually got the idea while doing ancestorresearch. I learned that my great-great grandfather worked as a groom in thestables of a wealthy English family whose estate was called Stainsby House.After a little more research, I found that he married one of the kitchen maidsfrom the estate and this got me imagining what their love story might havelooked like. I thought it would be fun to write a story where the characterswere married early in the book (instead of a romance where the couple doesntget together until the end), but had to find a way to keep the conflict upbetween the two. And what better way than to have the stable boy become theheir!
AAR: Why do you combine Christian values with theplot of your stories?
This is the Polish edition of
A MOST NOBLE HEIR
Published by DREAMS
Translated by Elżbieta ZawadowskaSAM: I try togive my stories an uplifting feel by bringing Gods hope and unconditional loveto the world. Its wonderful when a reader sends me a message saying that mywords spoke to her and gave her hope about a situation in her life. I find thatvery rewarding.
AAR: As I mentioned above, your first novel thatyou wrote as a teenager was rejected. Could you tell us what happened to thisbook?
SAM: Nothing! Its up on a high shelf in my closet withthat rejection letter! I started it when I was twelve and finished it when Iwas about 15. It was really a big mess but a great learning experience!
AAR: Where do you get your information or ideasfor your books?
SAM: Many times I get a kernel of an idea from either myfamilys lives or from a newspaper story and then build a plot around that. Forinstance, in Book 2 of the Canadian Crossings, THE HIGHEST OF HOPES, the storyquestion came from my own grandmother who never knew her parents. Her motherdied in childbirth and she was told that her father died of a broken heart.During my research, I discovered that he did not die, and in fact had remarriedand had another child. It made me wonder what my grandmother would have done ifshe ever found out. Would she have gone back toEngland to find her father and confront him or pretend hedidn'texist? So Ihad my characterEmmaline do this when she finds out that her father, who shethought was dead, is very much alive and living in Canada. Emmaline is a feistywoman and of course she crosses the ocean to find him.
AAR: What was one of the most surprising thingsyou learned in creating your books?
SAM: How hard writing really is! And how much work goesinto editing and refining the story until it actually comes out in print.
AAR: Do you hear from your readers much? Whatkinds of things do they say?
SAM: I dont hear too often from my readers, but wheneversomeone takes the time to contact me, I am very touched and make sure I respondto their message. As I said before, the most satisfying thing is to receive anote from someone who has really appreciated the positive message in my books.
AAR: You have also written contemporary romances.I mean THE RAINBOW FALLS SERIES and a book entitled HEALING THE WIDOWERSHEARTS. None of them has published in Poland yet. Could you tell us a littlemore about these books?
SAM: These books were published by a small press in theStates and I doubt they will be translated. But you never know. They arecentered around the residents of a small fictional town called Rainbow Falls inNorth Dakota. The first heroine, Lily, is running from a troubled past. Her newlandlord Nick proves to be an honorable man, something Lily has neverexperienced before. She has a hard time trusting him, but when she learns he isthinking of becoming a minister, she knows she could never be good enough forhim.
HEALING THE WIDOWERS HEART is a Harlequin book, about a widower and hisyoung son who cant get past their grief and the young counsellor who helpsthem heal. That was one of my favorites!
AAR: I am very interested in your writingprocess. Do you write more by logic or intuition, or some combination of thetwo? Summarize your writing process, please.
This is the Polish edition of
THE BEST OF INTENTIONS
Published by Dreams
Translated by Elżbieta ZawadowskaSAM: I would say its a combination of both. I have togive my publishers an outline of each book before they offer me a contract. Iusually work with my critique partner and we brainstorm story ideas as to whatcould happen in each book. When I have a rough outline of each story, I send itto my publisher. However once I start actually writing the story, it becomesmore of an intuition thing, and many times my characters refuse to cooperatewith my outline. Ha ha! The story usually ends up quite different than what Istarted out with.
AAR: What were your goals and intentions in yourbooks, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
SAM: My goal was to bring uplifting stories to people togive them hope for the future. And also to let them know that God loves them nomatter what. I also wanted to write wonderful love stories with happy endings!Overall, I feel I have achieved this.
AAR: Are there any stories about people you met whileresearching your books? Could you share them?
SAM: Most of my research is done on the internet and bytouring some cities for my book. I havent really met any people. Sorry!
AAR: What is your next project? Are you workingon a new book?
SAM: I am working on a new 3-book series which will betitled REDEMPTIONS LIGHT. It is about a young woman in 1941 who wants to opena maternity home for unwed mothers. The first book is called A HAVEN FOR HERHEART and it should come out in the late fall of 2020.
AAR: Susan, thank you so much for thisinteresting conversation. Is there anything you would like to add or tell yourPolish readers?
SAM: Just that I am most grateful for the love and supportI have received from you! I appreciate you all!
If you want to readthisinterview in Polish, please click here.
No comments: Labels:Canadian literature,interview,Susan Anne Mason Wednesday, 20 November 2019 Id always wanted to write a book set on the beautiful Oregon coast...
INTERVIEW WITH IRENE HANNONBY AGNES A. ROSE
Irene Hannon is a bestselling and award-winning author. She has writtenmore than fifty romantic suspense and contemporary romance/womens fictionnovels. Irene holds a B.A. in psychology and M.A. in journalism. She juggledtwo careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporatecommunications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full time. All ofher novels are written from a Christian worldview. In her spare time, sheenjoys cooking, gardening and singing. As a trained vocalist, she has sung theleading role in numerous musicals. She is also a soloist at her church. Whennot otherwise occupied, Irene and her husband enjoy traveling, Saturdaymornings at their favorite coffee shop and spending time with family. They maketheir home in Missouri. In Poland we can read three of her books: THAT CERTAINSUMMER, ONE PERFECT SPRING and HOPE HARBOR.
Agnes AnneRose: A very warm welcome to you, Irene, and can Ithank you, for taking time to talk to me today. Have you always consideredyourself to be a writer? Can you share a bit about your journey to publication?
Irene Hannon: Im happy to be here! Yes, Ive always consideredmyself a writer. I think writers are born, not made and that writing, likeany other talent, is a gift. However, in my younger years I never consideredwriting novels as a realistic career choice. Everyone knows how hard it is tomake a living in any creative field, and I didnt want to have to worry abouthaving enough money to live. So after I got my journalism degree, I took a jobin the business world, where I wrote everyday and I began writing books atnight. It took a long time to sell my first book, and there were plenty ofsetbacks along the way. But I kept writing and eventually reached a level ofsuccess that allowed me to leave the corporate world behind and write fulltime.
AAR: Who have been the people whove encouragedyou and seen the potential in your writing?
IH: My parents were my greatest supporters in the earlyyears. They believed in me, which gave me the confidence to keep trying. My dadcontinues to encourage me, and I know my mom is watching over me from heaven. Thefirst person who convinced me I had serious potential was a high school Englishteacher. She was also passionate about the power of language, and she passedthat passion on to me.
AAR: As I mentioned above, your stories are toldfrom a Christian worldview. What made you decide to create Christian fiction?
IH: Two things. First, Ive always believed that you cantell compelling stories without including vulgarity, explicit violence, orbedroom scenes. Christian fiction is aperfect home for those kinds of stories. I also like the genre because itshope-filled and centers on the things that really matter. That said, the faithelement in my books tends to be low-key. Usually I show the characters livingtheir faith rather than talking about it, but its clear that their beliefs affectall their choices.
AAR: How do you make a story believable, particularly ifyou havent had personal experience of the difficulties your protagonistsendured?
IH: My degree in psychology is helpful. So is my stagework, which requires me to take on various roles and become another person. Bottomline, empathy is the key. You have to put yourself into the characters shoesand do your best to imagine what theyre feeling. Reading extensively helpswith this, because there are many wonderful authors out there whove createdcharacters that help us better understand a huge variety of experiences andchallenges.
This is the Polish edition of
THAT CERTAIN SUMMER
Published by REPLIKA
Translated by Piotr KuśAAR: Now lets talk about the books that werepublished in Poland. The first one is THAT CERTAIN SUMMER. It was released in2013. According to some Polish reviewers, this is a beautiful story about thepower of faith and interpersonal relationships, as well as the amazingcombination of events that come together the fate of several people one summer.Could you tell us what inspire you to write this book?
IH: I wanted to write a book about healing in a siblingrelationship. So I created a story in which two very different sisters whovebeen somewhat estranged for quite a long time are brought together one summerto deal with a family crisis. Theres resentment and rivalry and past hurts toovercome. The message I wanted to send is that its never too late to makeamends and start over and that forgiveness for past transgressions is oftenthe key to a better future.
AAR: Your next book, called ONE PERFECT SPRING,was published in Poland in 2014. Some of the Polish readers say that it is avery pleasant novel about the power of prayer and faith in the fact that ourlives are saved by some higher power and everything that happens to peopleleads them to what is intended for them. Could you tell us how you rememberyour work on this book?
IH: ONE PERFECT SPRING begins with a letter from a littlegirl, in which she asks a philanthropic businessman to help her plan a birthdaysurprise for her older neighbor. That simple gesture of kindness ends uptouching countless lives and reaping a host of blessings. One of the messagesin this book is that everything we do can have a ripple effect, and that gracecan enter our lives in the most unexpected ways. Its a beautiful, upliftingstory about second chances and starting over.
AAR: A few weeks ago I read HOPE HARBOR that wasreleased in Poland last year. I am very impressed with this novel. I cantforget about it. Let me ask you how did the idea of telling the story of Tracyand Michael appear?
IH: Id always wanted to write a book set on thebeautiful Oregon coast, so several years ago I made a trip there to researchthe setting. One of the crops grown in Oregon is cranberries. So I decided tohave a heroine who owns a family cranberry farm thats having financialdifficulties. She also has a deep sadness in her background. Michael comes toHope Harbor in search of answers and redemption. He has a painful secret too and deep regrets. I wanted to take readers on a journey with these two woundedsouls as they find healing, hope and love. Theres also a secondary storylineabout an older woman whos holding a grudge that has isolated her for manyyears. Watching her transformation as she begins to interact with Michael is akey part of the story.
This is the Polish edition of
ONE PERFECT SPRING
Published by REPLIKA
Translated by Monika OrłowskaAAR: Apart from these three books we discussedabove, you have written many more. Could you choose one of them and recommendit to your Polish readers? Tell us why this one.
IH: I would recommend any of the books in my Hope Harbor series.In addition to the first title HOPE HARBOR there are four more and atleast three to come. Im thrilled that readers worldwide have embraced thislittle Oregon seaside town. DRIFTWOOD BAY, the most recent Hope Harbor novel,has been especially popular. Each story stands alone, but there are a fewsecondary characters that appear in all the books Floyd and Gladys, myseagull couple; the bantering clerics from the two churches in town; andCharley Lopez, an artist who runs a taco stand on the wharf. I invite everyonereading this blog to drop in on Hope Harbor and get acquainted!
AAR: What is the most surprising thing youdiscovered while writing your book/books?
IH: That writing never gets easier. People who arentwriters dont always understand that. But the truth is, the longer I do it, theharder it get. Thats because I want every book to be better than the last one,so Im always trying to improve. And I learn something new with each book Iwrite.
AAR: Do you have a favourite character that youhave written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.
IH: I love all my characters, but the reader favorite isCharley Lopez, the character I mentioned above from Hope Harbor. He always haswords of wisdom to offer and seems to know a great deal about everyone. Ivereceived more reader comments about him than all of the characters in all of myother books combined.
AAR: Your latest book DARK AMBITIONS was releasedin October. This is the third part of CODE OF HONOR SERIES. Could you tell ussomething more about this novel and the whole series?
IH: I write in two genres contemporary romance andromantic suspense. DARK AMBITIONS is a suspense novel. The Code of Honor seriesfeatures three childhood friends from difficult backgrounds whose bond has beenstrengthened by time and danger. As children, they vowed to make the world abetter place, and thats the code they live by hence the series title. DARKAMBITIONS is the third book in the series and features an ex-military pilot whonow runs a camp for foster children. The story begins when he finds a trail ofblood in the snow at his camp. He hires a female private investigator to helphim solve the riddle his visitor left. But the deeper they dig, the more dangertheyre in because someone doesnt want the truth to be told. Its anedge-of-the-seat story with a climax that most readers didnt see coming. Andas with all my series, every book is a standalone. There are no plot threadsthat carry over from book to book.
This is the Polish edition of
HOPE HARBOR
Published by DREAMS
Translated by Emilia NiedzieskaAAR: Could you give us a window into your writingstyle? Are you a planner or a seat of your pants plot follower?
IH: A little bit of both. I spend quite a while gettingto know my characters and my basic plot before I start writing. I also do a lotof research at that early stage. Once I start writing, I let the story takeover. I dont have an outline or even a scene-by-scene plan.
AAR: Youve written more than fifty books. Do you everexperience self doubt?
IH: Often especially when Im trying to figure outwhere to go with my next book. That stage feels very unproductive to me,because no words are appearing on the page. Im in thinking mode. I know its apart of my process, but at that point I sometimes think the threads of thestory will never come together or that I wont find a really compelling idea.My husband could tell you about the self-doubt, because he has to listen to it!
AAR: As I mentioned above, you are anaward-winning author. For example you are a seven-time finalist for andthree-time winner of the RITA award. This award is considered to be the Oscarof romance fiction. But you have won many more of the awards. Could you tell ussomething more about them? Do you have the one that is most important to you?
IH: Ive been very fortunate to have my work recognizedwith multiple awards, including National Readers Choice, Daphne du Maurier,Retailers Choice, Booksellers Best, Carol, and Reviewers Choice from RTBook Reviews magazine. My lifetime achievement award from RT Book Reviews, which recognized myentire body of work, was special. But the one that means the most to me isbeing inducted into Romance Writers of Americas elite Hall of Fame. Thathappens after you win three RITA awards in one category, and only 16 authorshave done that in the almost 40-year history of the organization.
AAR: What does literary success look like to you?How has your life changed?
IH: Being able to make a living with my fiction writinghas been an immense blessing. I work long hours, but my schedule is far moreflexible than it was during my corporate days. So now and then my husband and Ican sneak away for lunch to a lovely spot in the country on the spur of themoment. Other than that, my life hasnt changed all that much because mypriorities are the same faith, family and fiction. My husband and I live inthe same house we bought when we got married, long before Id achieved much literarysuccess. I do more interviews and make more appearances than I used to, butwhen Im home (my favorite place to be), Im the same Irene Ive always been. Ivenever need material things to make me happy, and while I enjoy the occasionalmoments of glamor my success has brought, Im happy that most of my days arequiet and low-key.
AAR: Finally, I would like to ask you if you areworking on anything at the present. Could you share with your readers about it?
IH: I always have a book in the works! Next April, Book 6in the Hope Harbor series will release. Its called STARFISH PIER. And nextfall, Ill start a new suspense series featuring three sisters involved intruth-seeking professions. The series is called Triple Threat, and Book 1 iscalled POINT OF DANGER. So lots of novels are ahead!
AAR: Irene, thank you so much for this nice conversation.It was a great pleasure for me to be able to talk to you. Is there anything youwould like to add or tell your Polish readers?
IH: Im delighted that several of my books have beentranslated into Polish and hope more will be translated in the future. Thankyou to all whove read or bought my books in Polish. For those who readEnglish, I invite you to visit my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Irene-Hannon-426433004084567/), where I chat with readers almost every day. And mywebsite (www.irenehannon.com) has moreinformation on all my books and my background. Thank you, Agnes Anne, for inviting me to visit. Ive enjoyed it!
If you want to read this interview in Polish, please click here.
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Toni Morrison
"Of all the inanimate objects, of all men's creations, books are the nearest to us for they contain our very thoughts, our ambitions, our indignations, our illusions, our fidelity to the truth, and our persistent leanings to error. But most of all they resemble us in their precious hold on life."
Joseph Conrad
"History isn't just the story of bad people doing bad things. It's quite as much a story of people trying to do good things. But somehow, something goes wrong."
C.S. Lewis
"If one tries to think about history, it seems to me - it's looking at a range of mountains. And the first time you see them, they look one way. But then time changes, the pattern of light shifts. Maybe you've moved slightly, your perspective has changed. The mountains are the same, but they look very different."
Robert Harris
"When freedom does not have a purpose, when it does not wish to know anything about the rule of law engraved in the hearts of men and women, when it does not listen to the voice of conscience, it turns against humanity and society."
Pope John Paul II
"From plants that wake when others sleep, from timid jasmine buds that keep their odour to themselves all day, but when the sunlight dies away let the delicious secret out to every breeze that roams about."
Thomas Moore
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