Q & A with author Chantilly White

Thanks for being here today, Chantilly. Would you please share a short bio about yourself?
Thanks for having me, Rebecca! My name is Chantilly White. I'm originally from California, but moved to the Pacific Northwest—by way of Wisconsin—about ten years ago, with my husband and three children.

I have always loved stories—whether reading or writing them—and wrote my first book when I was eight. It was a two-hundred-page treatment of what my life would be like, including a detailed description of every room in my future house, my eight (!!!) children, and all the animals I would have. My plan was to rescue every single animal from every single shelter on the face of the planet and give them all a place to call home. Every species would have its own house, where they'd all live peaceably, happily ever after.

Since the logistics of that plan proved beyond my capabilities, I settled for giving my fictional characters (and their pets!) happily-ever-afters in my stories. I have a degree in Creative Writing from the University of California at Riverside and am currently indie publishing short and novella-length romances, with novels coming soon.

Do you consider yourself a shy and/or introverted person?

I do consider myself a shy person. I don't understand why the people who know me laugh when I say that! I'm very introverted in most situations.

In what ways has being shy or introverted hindered your writing career?

Being shy has hindered me in that it has gone hand-in-hand with a serious lack of confidence in myself and my work. It even kept me from joining Romance Writers of America (RWA) for decades. I was too afraid, and felt too unworthy, to belong to the same organization as all of my romance-author idols. I regret that now, because the moment I walked into my first RWA meeting, with the Olympia chapter, I knew I had found my tribe. The room was full of amazing, fabulous women who immediately welcomed and accepted me, put me at ease, and who have been an integral part of my life ever since. They are a continual source of support, knowledge and friendship. It was their belief in me and my writing, rather than my own confidence, that finally pushed me to take control of my career and get my work out to readers.

In what ways has being shy or introverted helped your writing career?

Being shy—and sensitive to a fault—has helped me in my writing because I am very attuned to emotions, whether my own or the emotions of those around me. I've been told that I write with emotional intensity, which was such a lovely compliment, and I hope it's true. I want to bring as much authentic emotion to my stories as possible, and I work hard to really dig down into my characters' psyches to discover their personal truths.

Also, introverts tend to be natural observers. There's not much else to do when hiding out in those corners! I think surveying the scene—the people, their actions, body language, conversations and emotions, the setting—helps fill the creative well in ways that might be harder to achieve from center stage.

What’s the hardest part of this business for you?

Promotion! No question. I absolutely hate it. I'd much rather promote other people than myself. It's very hard to stand up and say, "Look at me! I wrote this book, isn't it fabulous? Don't you want to read it?" But I love saying, "Look at my friend! She wrote this fabulous book! You must go buy it!" It's something I continue to work on, because I know as an author it's part of the gig—we have to do it if we want to find our readers and make a living. But I sure wish they'd just accidentally stumble across my stories (in large numbers, of course), love them instantly and beg for more. That's my writerly fantasy.

However, as a devotee of Dean Wesley Smith (http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/), author and indie publisher extraordinaire, I love his promotion plan, which is (paraphrasing), "Don't bother. Write another book. And another one. The best promotion is another story to sell." I like the way he thinks. That sort of promotion is a natural fit for me. Writing another story, and another and another, is what I most want to be doing in the first place.

Having said that, I LOVE to hear from readers and build relationships with them that are not incumbent upon me constantly "selling myself" to them. I want to get to know them as people, not as buyers. If they like my stories and choose to read more of them, great! I so appreciate the support. But let's get to know each other, too.

Tell me about a time that you had to step outside your comfort zone either in your writing career or in your personal life?

I stepped way outside my comfort zone when I decided to indie publish. I don't think I have been as nervous as I was that first publication day in years. Maybe decades. It felt like, by putting my work out there, I was suddenly in an enormous spotlight and the whole world could see me standing there with my soul bared. I was so jittery I could hardly concentrate as my friend helped show me the ropes of publishing. I had all the classic signs of a massive panic attack: sweaty palms, racing heart, rapid breathing, icy tremors. It was awful! But the sense of exhilaration once my story went live was incredible, and made the nerves totally worth it.

What’s one tip you could share with shy and introverted people that’s helped you (whether you’re shy/introverted or not)?

Find your tribe. That's what helped me the most. I am very shy, very introverted in most situations, but there's something about being an active part of my personal tribe, the writing community, that freed me from my usual angst. There's a real sense of comfort that comes from being surrounded by a group of people all focused on and experiencing the same things, no matter what stage they're at. My writer friends "get" me on a deep, dark level because they've all been in my shoes at one point or another. I get them for the same reasons. The details of our journeys may be different, but the emotions experienced along those varied journeys are shared. When you have that sort of unquestioning empathy and support, you start to feel like you can tackle anything. And if you feel like you can tackle anything, well then, you can tackle anything.

Would you please share a short blurb of your book and where my readers can buy it?

Sure! They're available on Amazon, B&N and anywhere ebooks are sold.

Pearls of Passion:

Shy librarian Sabrina has had her heart set on Robert, her hunky, reserved colleague, for months. Now she's taking matters into her own hands. . . and anywhere else she can manage. But once she's had her way with him, will she end up with the love match she craves even more than his luscious body?

A short, H-O-T contemporary romance, Pearls of Passion is 6,000 words (about 15 pages).

 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | All Romance Ebooks

 

Pearls of Wisdom:

A long-simmering love. A proper proposal. One incredible night.

Billy Wingate has never been with a woman. He’s never held a gun. In fact, he’s never been outside his home state of Indiana. But it’s 1942. The world is at war, and Billy’s life is about to change forever.

On the eve of departing for the war, Billy finally gathers the courage to ask his dream girl, sexy town librarian April Collins, to be his bride. But when his proposal turns into a steamy night of passion, Billy is determined to make every moment count. They both know his first time may be his last. . .

A short, H-O-T historical romance, Pearls of Wisdom is 15,000 words (about 35 pages).

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | All Romance Ebooks

Pearls of Pleasure (Available September 24, 2012)

Gwen Coffey's marriage is collapsing. When her fireman husband, David, nearly died in a blaze that took the lives of his friends, she devoted herself to his long, painful recovery. Three years later, he's healthy and back to work—but now, when they make love, panic attacks send Gwen into a spiraling abyss of terror.

His marriage turning to ash around him, David struggles to help his wife. Gwen's pain tears him apart. But despite her attempts to shut him out, he won't give up on her, or their relationship. Desperate, he convinces her to see a therapist.

As Gwen and David work toward a solution, one question burns in their minds—will the doctor's treatment plan save their once fiery passion, or will the flames of Gwen's fear devour their sex life and incinerate the bonds of their marriage?

Pearls of Pleasure is a 40,000 word hot contemporary-romance novella (about 100 pages).

Where can my readers find you on the web?

My website is http://ChantillyWhite.com where readers can find out about current and future projects or contact me via email.

 

I'm also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChantillyWhite or https://www.facebook.com/FansofChantillyWhite and Twitter @ChantillyWhite

 

 

HONEYMOON BITE by Sharon Hamilton

I don't usually post promo on this blog, but today I'm making an exception (right, Sharon?). Please check out this fabulous new release by romance author Sharon Hamilton. It's Book 1 of her Golden Vampire series.

BLURB:
Anne caught her husband cheating with the maid of Honor before their wedding cake was cut. She decided to take her planned and paid for honeymoon in Tuscany, alone. On the evening of what was to be her wedding night, she gets bitten by a female vampire.

Marcus Monteleone has waited three hundred years to find his fated female, only to discover her dying in his arms. He saves Anne's life by turning her, and then works to gain her trust, to cope with being a newly-formed golden vampire.

But when Anne finds out Marcus has not been completely truthful about his past, she vows to live as a human, and shuns the vampire world. Alone and unprotected, she falls prey to the very villainess who took her human soul, and who now takes the only man she’s ever loved.

Which lover will have to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the other before they both are lost?

BUY: Kindle|Nook

Sharon's website: http://www.sharonhamiltonauthor.com/home.html

Q & A with author Marcella Rose

Thanks for being here today, Marcella. Would you please share a short bio about yourself?  Thanks for having me, Becky. As a D.C. native and only child, I was my Daddy's girl, going with him to Redskins and Terps games, playing golf, bowling, and reading. I desperately wanted to be the first woman on the moon, or at least the first female test pilot. But obviously, that didn't happen. I got married and moved to the Deeeep South. Talk about culture shock! I went from rush-hour traffic in the Capitol city to living at the end of a gravel road. I've sung professionally, taught computer, and sold just about everything – pools, burglar bars, long distance, cars, mobile homes, students. After a layoff several years ago, and the first period of time when I wasn't working eighty-hour weeks, I decided to write the stories that had been spinning in my head and see what came of it. Now, I live by the bayou, no noise, no traffic, just herons, deer, alligators and hunters ambling by my writing space. It's an introvert's dream.

Do you consider yourself and introvert?In what ways has it hindered your writing career?  Yep, introvert, though my mother couldn't understand how someone who was in front of others in sales, singing or training could be an introvert. In those jobs, though, communication had a purpose, to sell, to entertain, to instruct. Put me at a table with one person and I'm on it, but ask me to socialize, meaning casual chit chat and, ugh, I'm a disaster. So this solitary life of writing was perfect for me until I realized I had to get on the online version of the big group party - Twitter and Facebook. (Is there a book called Social Media for Introverts? Send me the link, lol.)

In what ways has being introverted helped your writing career? It's made me more of a nurturer and able to see the individual. When we experience difficulty we tend to recognize others in the same predicament and want to help. We hear that this is a solitary profession but the writing community is like a village with a very social core. And that's the most difficult part for me.

Tell me about a time that you had to step outside your comfort zone? Recently, I made the decision to self-publish. I didn't realize what a big learning experience it would be – not just about the work but what I would learn about myself, the boundaries I would have to establish in order to stay strong toward my goal. We introverts tend to let others do the talking and sometimes the pushing. I envy those who have been able to make it traditionally but for me this was the right decision, for now, and it seemed like I had to expose and defend parts of myself for the first time. Getting through it was scary but very satisfying.

What's one tip you could share with shy and introverted people that's helped you?  You know, for years I felt there was something wrong with me. My mother and her sisters were extreme extroverts and just didn't 'get' us introverts. I felt like a misfit, until my uncle introduced the women in the family to the MyersBriggs book Please Understand Me. Sharing that book as a game with other members of the family and at work was very eye opening. Mom scored a 20 on the Extrovert scale; I was a two. I suspect writers who hit the middle of the scale are the most successful at balancing the solitary with the social. But whether you're a 20 or an 8, on the introvert/extrovert-o-meter, my hope is that each of us can learn to make the best of our talents, and accept that, "hey, this is how God made me, and I'm okay." ;))

Fire in My Blood is a sensual romantic adventure starring Cass McKay, a sexy Aussie gem hunter, and Elektra Charpentier, a New Orleans Art and Antiquities dealer. When Cass appears unexpectedly at Elektra's design shop, her reasons for sending him away become…complicated; their passion for each other and her dark secret, intricately entwined. One year ago on the eve of Carnival, Elektra broke their engagement after the "Blood" opal was stolen from them. Now, staying out of Cass' bed isn't an option if she's going to keep him safe, but coming clean might make things worse. Elektra is walking a tightrope between desire and deceit, and the truth will endanger not only their love, but their lives.

Fire In My Blood is available on Amazon, Smashwords, and All Romance Ebooks

Follow Marcella on Twitter or Facebook or her blog: http://marcellaroseauthor.blogspot.com

EDIE RAMER--Forced out of her comfort zone

Please help me welcome successful, self-published author Edie Ramer to the blog. [Rebecca's note: Self-publishing? Yikes!! All that promo. Talk about an introvert's worst nightmare]

Rebecca, thank you so much for inviting me. ShyWriters is the perfect place for me. In my short bio I say that I’m funnier on paper than in real life, yet Facebook and Twitter are a part of my day now. It would be nice to be naturally witty and funny, or even say profound Oprah-like things that make people reply “OMG, that is so inspirational and insightful!” Once in a while, I can be funny or insightful, but most of the time, I search for something—anything—interesting to say.

Oddly, blogging is easier. I’m one of the founders of Magical Musings. When my two CPs and I started it, I wasn’t sure how I’d do, but I was game. It turned out that I was good at blogging (hey, I can admit it when I do things right). But I tweak mine several times, just as I tweak my mss. My fellow blogger, Liz Kreger, writes hers in about 10-15 minutes, and she’s good at blogging, too. A natural. But she’s probably solidly on the extrovert side of the Myers-Briggs scale, while I’m on the introvert side.

That’s why writing a book, alone in my office, is something I love doing. But self-publishing has forced me into the online world. I’m so lucky that I’ve joined groups that have helped me pave the way. First, my local RWA group, WisRWA. In the beginning, I went to every meeting. At first I hardly said anything, but in about 3 years I was leading the meetings. I joined Amy Atwell’s first GIAM group. In the beginning, I was silent, an observer. Now I’m as noisy as anyone. I joined a critique group. There were 8 of us, and though it’s disbanded, we’re still friends. (BTW, since we started, everyone in it has published and 2 members are NY Times bestselling authors.)

Through Magical Musings, I’ve made a lot of writer friends. I’m a member of RWA-WF and I write their Industry News column. I belong to 2 groups formed to help each other through the self- publishing maze. Members of these 2 groups are urging me to join 2 others, and I know I need to become active on Kindleboards… (insert silent scream)

This is a LOT of socializing for a shy writer. Not only that, my involvement with the groups takes away from my writing time. But through the contacts my first self-published book, Cattitude, is now 1416 in the Amazon Kindle bestseller rank. (That includes ALL the Kindle books, so that’s awesome for me.) I’ve had it on sale for 99 cents, so that contributes. Dead People, which is $2.99, is in the 35K rank now. (These ranks fluctuate by the hour.) But I know the big jump for Cattitude has come because of promo help from my friends.

I think I have a “go ahead, try it” voice inside of me that overrides the introvert voice. Sometimes it’s too much (hence the silent scream), but I know extroverts who’ve had to back away from the internet for weeks at a time. Karin Tabke calls it “going into her Bat Cave.” I can’t afford to go into my cave now (mine would be, of course, Cat Cave—or Cat & Dog Cave, since I often have a snoring beagle in my office as well as a purring cat who demands attention), but in the future I might disappear for a week or two every once in a while.

So for now, this shy writer is way out of her comfort zone. It’s all good, I’m making great friends, selling books, and looking forward to selling more.

What have you done lately that’s taken you out of your comfort zone?

Award-winning writer Edie Ramer is funnier on the page than in real life. She loves her cat so much she made her the heroine of CATTITUDE, her first paranormal romance. Her second book, DEAD PEOPLE, Book one of her Haunted Hearts series, was her American Title V final book. She also has a short story available. You can find out more about Edie and her books on her website. You can follow her on Twitter and on Facebook, where once in a great while she manages to be witty.