AuThursday -Kat Henry Doran

Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I am a nurse by (the) first profession. A volunteer position at the local Rape Crisis Service turned into a paid position and eventually I was promoted to Director of a four-county regional program serving more than 1,000 survivors of rape and child sexual assault, and their significant others, each year. Eventually, I went back to school and became a paralegal which turned into my current job as a legal nurse consultant.

So, what have you written?

Under Kat Henry Doran, I’ve written two full-length romantic mysteries, Captain Marvelous and Try Just Once More, both published through the Wild Rose Press. Try Just Once More won the Barclay Gold for best in romantic suspense several years ago

Have you written any other novels in collaboration with other writers?

Writing as Kat Henry Doran and Veronica Lynch, I’ve been part of four anthologies for TWRP:  Out of the Dark [Raising Kane] The Class of ’85 [ The List, Mad Dog and Archangel, Embraceable You]; Candy Hearts [For Keeps] and Haunting in the Garden [Caper Magic]. Each was a lot of fun to write. Currently, I am involved with an anthology out of the Maine Romance Writers group, Welcome to Serenity Harbor [my story is It Had to Be You]. Embraceable You was a finalist in the IDA contest a few years ago.

 

Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?

I write when I can which isn’t often enough I’m sorry to say. Weekends are the best time for me, especially between January and April.

Do you ever get writer’s Block?

If I do, I take a nap and wait for it to go away.

What book/s are you reading at present?

I just finished Stephen King’s “On Writing”. Loved it, laughed out loud in fact. I’m a huge fan of audio books and just finished Sandra Brown’s “Sting”. Great story, terrific ending. More recently, Nora Roberts’ “Obsession” knocked my socks off.

How do you relax?

I sew. I like to design and create tote bags and aprons. While I’m doing that, I listen to the audiobooks so I’m able to kill two birds with one stone. I sell those totes and aprons [along with other items] at craft shows so I travel a lot and listen to audio books while driving.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Read what you want to write, particularly works by those authors whose message reaches out to you. Go to conferences, large and small, and take workshops. Listen to the pros who’ve been there and done that. Take rejection with a grain of salt and remember, your writing will always improve. Above all, listen to what others are saying about your writing. If more than two people say the same thing [as in weak POV or conflict or plot structure] about your stuff, pay attention. One person’s thoughts may be full of beans, more than one is telling you something. Listen to it.

Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web? 

www.facebook.com/wildwomenauthors

www.wildwomenauthorsx2.blogspot.com

www.amazon.com/author/KatDoran

www.amazon.com/author/VeronicaLynch

Join me on Saturday when we read an excerpt from Kat’s story TRY JUST ONCE MORE. ~Tina

AuThursday – Marianne Rice

Please join me in welcoming my fellow LSB author, Marianne Rice. Marianne, we are so glad you could join us today. So Marianne, how long have you been writing?  

I started writing nine summers ago when I was on maternity leave with my son. My girls were two and four at the time. Needless to say, my writing was sparse, but my first attempt (I say attempt because that manuscript—that took two years to write—is the typical “first book”. Perfect heroine who has two perfect men fighting over her. Blah).  Since then, I’ve written eight books and am almost finished with my ninth.

Q: What is your writing process? Do you outline, fly by the seat of your pants or a combination of both? Do you use mood music, candles, no noise, when you write?

In my earlier days I needed to have complete silence so I typically wrote at night after the kids went to bed. Now that they’re older and less needy, I can multi-task and tune them out, but I do like to be alone. Music is good if it’s soft—otherwise I sing along and too many lyrics end up in my book. I don’t plot, but I don’t fly by the seat of my pants. I use my non-writing-time to think about my characters and their conflicts. I “cook” my story and am able to write quickly when I do get a moment to sit at my laptop.

Q: What do you do to unwind and relax?

Read. Read. And read some more. Preferably in a lounge chair in the sun.

Q: How did you deal with rejection letters, if you received any?

They suck. There’s no other word for it. I didn’t query my books for quite a few years because I didn’t want to deal with rejection. Instead I wrote. When I finished one book I started the next. My first few rejections were form rejections. Of course I was upset and didn’t feel like writing anymore. That lasted an hour or so and then I went back at it. Two years ago I received two amazing telephone calls, one from an agent and one from an editor. They were kind rejections, but these two women took the time to call me and give me pointers on how to strengthen my writing. It was so inspiring. That’s when I actively pursued getting published.

Q: Would you tell us your story of getting “the call?”

Well, even though my two calls I got were kind rejections, I consider them a prequel to “the call”. My first contract came through an email. It was six thirty in the morning and no one was at work yet. I opened my email and had to read the message a few times to process. I forwarded it to my husband and my best friend and then ran up and down the hall waiting for people to get to work so I could show them my email.

Q: Why did you decide to write stories that take place in New England?

Write what you know, right? While I’m from California and my entire family lives out there, I love the small town contemporary romances. They feel cozier and heartfelt.  People escape to Maine (aka Vacationland) to relax and write. I get to live here. The setting goes very well with the types of stories I like to tell: small towns and family dynamics.

Q: What books can we expect to see in the near future?

The Wilde Sisters series just got picked up by Secret Craving Publishing. The first book, Sweet on You, comes out in September with the rest of the series coming out in January and May of 2016. I’ve also started another series—set in Rocky Harbor, Maine—centered around a family of six foster children all grown up and looking to find their place in the world.

Q: Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web?

You can find me just about everywhere: www.mariannerice.weebly.com

amazon.com/author/mariannerice

http://www.facebook.com/MarianneRiceaut

https://www.goodreads.com/MarianneRice

https//www.pinterest.com/mariannericeaut

https://twitter.com/mariannericeaut

Thanks again for joining us!  Join me on Saturday as we read and excerpt from Marianne’s latest release, FALSE IMPRESSIONS. 

Until then, Be Naughty! 

~Tina