INTERVIEW WITH KATHY L. WHEELER

Readers, please welcome Kathy L. Wheeler today. Kathy and I met through Dallas Area Romance Authors (DARA). We also have written for the same publisher, The Wild Rose Press (TWRP). Kathy lives in Edmond, Oklahoma, where she is active (past president) in Oklahoma Romance Writers of America.

Kathy L. Wheeler, Author

Caroline: Please tell readers about growing up.

Kathy: My childhood was somewhat interesting, as I imagine most are. However, my parents have each been married six times. Yes, I said six (6). I think that made me most adaptable. I grew up in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, then in high school moved to Boulder, Colorado. Talk about culture shock! I have two sisters and three brothers, though the brothers are all step, you wouldn’t know it. We have a family reunion every three years just to make sure everyone stays together.

Caroline: Who are your favorite authors and favorite genres?

 Kathy: Jayne Ann Krentz is by far my favorite author. I love all of her single titles, whether it’s contemporary, historical or futuristic. Susan Elizabeth Phillips too. My favorite sub-genre to read is Regency Historical. Teresa Medeiros, Elizabeth Boyle, Suzanne Enoch…I could certainly go on and on…

Caroline: Love each of those authors. What’s your favorite way to relax and recharge? Hobbies?

Kathy: What an interesting question. I have several hobbies. I jazzercise, karaoke, musical theater. I love the NFL and the NBA—but relax? Anyone watching Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals will tell you, that is not relaxing. Hmm, more like an addiction. I keep wondering what I’m going to do when the series ends. And, there is soooo much to do. Ah, but NFL will kick off two months later. So I’ll be good to go!

Caroline: Do you have a favorite quote that sums up how you feel about life?

Kathy: My book QUOTABLE is about a young woman, Genna, who uses obscure quotes to keep people from getting too close. But in one particular scene, she and her friend, Lorianne are having lunch and Lorianne accuses Genna of not dating since the joker from college. Genna answers with something like “The more I get to know men, the more I love my dog.” Lorianne responds with, “You don’t even have a dog.” And, I think that’s funny.

Caroline: I look forward to reading QUOTABLE. Have to confess I collect obscure quotes. How long have you been writing?

Kathy: I’ve been writing since 2006. I saw a Google prompt that said “write a story where Cinderella’s shoe fits one of her evil stepsisters.” So I did. Then I wrote the sister’s stories (they are available on Amazon).

Caroline: Where do you prefer to write? Do you need quiet, music, solitude? PC or laptop?

Kathy: I can write almost anywhere (except when watching an NBA Thunder game, or Dallas Cowboys NFL). Then I just have to set the computer aside and give them my complete attention. Otherwise, they do something stupid, like … lose. I type really fast, so I prefer a laptop, I can take anywhere. I can’t watch a movie when I’m working, but I do like white noise in the form of sports or The History Channel.

Caroline: Are you a plotter or a panzer?

Kathy: Mostly a panzer. But one of my critique partners is a big time plotter so at least there is some kind of balance. And, everyone knows, balance is the key!!!

Caroline: Yes, we all strive for balance, don’t we? Do you use real events or persons in your stories or as an inspiration for stories?

Kathy: I would say not. I think the characters just start talking in my head.

Caroline: Me, too. I hope they never shut up! Do you set daily writing goals? Word count? Number of chapters? Do you get a chance to write every day?

Kathy: Right now, I am inundated with editing. Last summer I had two articles published in a local paper (July and August). Then I signed my first contract (TWRP) in September, a second one (SMP) in October, and a third in December. Just yesterday, I signed my fourth (TWRP) and mailed it off. Edits, edits, edits. I have two more stories in the works. But another one that needs tweaking and submitting. EEEEkkkk!

Caroline: But a selling writer is a happy writer. What do you hope your writing brings to readers?

Kathy: I hope a reader feels what my character feels. Through their eyes. I don’t like being spoon-fed information. I re-read a lot of my favorite books. And every time I go back, I learn something new. I don’t have to be told every single little thing.

Caroline: What long-term plans do you have for your career?

Kathy: I really, really need to learn how to answer this question. I would love to be able to make my living by writing.

Caroline: Wouldn’t we all? Well, some people we know do, but most of us struggle. Would you like to tell us what you’re working on now?

Kathy: Edits, edits, edits.

Caroline: While edits aren’t exactly fun, at least they mean you have not only completed a project, but that it will soon be published. What advice would you give to unpublished authors?

Kathy: Keep writing. Always have something in the works. I had eight completed manuscripts when I signed that first contract. Lucky for me, I had other stuff ready to send off.

Caroline: And that’s good for prospective writers to know. While you’re submitting, keep writing so that when you do sell, you have multiple manuscripts available. Tell us something about you that would surprise or shock readers. A fun fact readers wouldn’t know about you.

Kathy: Most of me is just out there. What-you-see-is-what-you-get. But I do have a minor degree in vocal music. But I don’t think that would surprise many people. Although, singing is very close to my heart, and I can be extremely sensitive about it. I’m as good as some, not as good as others, though in a karaoke environment where there is a lot of alcohol? I’m totally awesome.

Caroline: Is your book a series? If so, how long? Family saga, other?

Kathy: Well, it seems I write mostly series, or rather, books that include characters from previous books. QUOTABLE is the first of four. The second one, Lorianne’s story, MAYBE IT’ YOU is due out in the Fall through Soul Mate Publishing.

Caroline: Tell us something you learned researching your book that surprised/interested you.

Kathy: The book I just signed a contract on, THE ENGLISH LILY follows my Cinderella Series. Lady Kendra Frazier is a character in the Esmeralda story. She is dyslexic. It was interesting to write. The editor who signed the book sent me a note and told me a story regarding her sister who is also dyslexic. The feeling that the character resonated with the editor was intoxicating.

Caroline: We have numerous dyslexic people in my family. Can you give readers a blurb about your book? I am lucky enough to have had two books released in the last couple of weeks. Neither of which are related to one another.

The blurb for: QUOTABLE
GENNA LYNDSEY is not a people person.  A short, too-skinny, wild haired waif, with crazy hair and sturdy nerdy glasses lives through books.  So it’s lucky she and her best friend own their own bookstore.  Her college days taught her that dating was too unreliable to depend on others.  It was then that she started resorting to obscure quotes to shield herself from others who ventured too close.
RICK JOHNSON, Fraud Insurance Claims Investigator, is assigned to look into an unusual number of claims filed by Genna Lyndsey.  He suspects Genna of sabotaging her own property for insurance money.  His investigation uncovers an adorable introvert determined to keep everyone at bay, while someone else resolves to put her out of business—no matter how great the risk.


How about an excerpt of QUOTABLE::

Without so much as a second thought, he moved his mouth over hers in slow deliberation allowing her almost ample time to step back should she have wished. It didn’t matter that the door was to her back and she had nowhere to step back to.
Definitely, the wild honeysuckle drove him wild with desire. Just the feeling of her timorous nature kept him from devouring her outright, tempting as it was. His tongue touched her lips in a feathery motion drinking in her sweetness. He pulled her to him, her slight body leaning into his.
A sharp pain hit his leg. He grunted and broke the kiss, making the break as painful as the pain in his leg. He glanced down. She’d dropped everything she’d been holding, her hands clutching the front of his shirt. Her cheeks were flushed. With hunger? Need?
She seemed at a loss as to what to do next. He stifled an urge to smile, irritation dissolving for the moment.
He grasped her hands gently, surprised by the rising desire to safeguard her. Resisting the appeal to reclaim her mouth, he tugged them from his shirt. Kneeling down, he gathered the spilled belongings. Just as he suspected, he’d been besieged with books.

The blurb for: THE COLOR OF BETRAYAL [Part of the Tales of the Scrimshaw Doll Series through TWRP]
Luke Reiser has every intention of marrying Malia Kane, a difficult feat when she refuses to acknowledge his interest. When Malia’s grandmother asks for a doll left in his attic, Luke believes his luck has changed. He summons Malia to his office, but he doesn’t expect her reaction.
Malia doesn’t have time to do artwork for Luke’s company. She’s preparing for an art show to ease financial difficulties looming like a snuffer ready to extinguish a candle flame. But what she finds at Luke’s office is worse than bankruptcy—it’s that horrid doll bequeathed to her at her mother’s death. Malia has found out the hard way the curse breaks any would-be lover’s nose, and worse. Not wanting to risk injury to Luke, she takes the doll and runs.
Can an ancient doll bring the two together…or will Luke end up next in a long line of victims…with a broken nose as well as a broken heart?

An excerpt of THE COLOR OF BETRAYAL: 
Seeming oblivious to his presence, her gaze spanned the room before dropping her face into open palms. “It’s old. It’s ugly. Why? Why would anyone want the blasted thing?” She had obviously forgotten his presence as the conversation she carried was strictly her own. “It’s that damned curse. It has to be.” She raised her head, staring out a window, its sill covered in dust. Her eyes squinted in the sunlight. “Oooh, it would serve him right if he did snatch the stupid thing.” Full lips pressed in a stubborn line had him lusting to trace them with a fingertip. Coax them into a curve.
“Who?” he demanded, but she didn’t answer. Luke decided to take charge of the situation before she completely lost all contact with reality. “What makes you think the doll is cursed? Not that I believe it for a moment.” It felt odd saying the words aloud, though the words from the note were carved in his memory.
She shot him a startled glance. Yes, that was surprise covering her features. Annoyed, he
promised himself he’d work on forging a less forgettable image later. Right now, however, she
seemed to be debating how much to tell him.
Malia opened her mouth to speak, and suddenly Luke’s brain ceased any rational functioning. A pressing need to kiss those parted lips overtook common sense, and he covered her mouth with his. How much more blatant a signal would he have to send for her to realize his attraction?

Caroline: Where can readers find your books?

Kathy:

QUOTABLE: http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/quotable/

THE COLOR OF BETRAYAL:
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=175_133&products_id=4880

How can readers learn more about you? http://klwheeler.com
http://kathylwheeler.wordpress.com
Twitter @kathylwheeler
www.Facebook.com/kathylwheeler


Caroline: Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about you?

Kathy: Thank you so much for letting me ramble on. I think I’ve always been a bit of an artsy person. I could draw decent pictures when I was younger (forget painting!), I love to sing. I did some local theater. I was okay, just not great! But writing…writing seems to flow through my blood. And I hope that you enjoy the characters that live in my head.

Thanks for sharing with us today, Kathy.

Readers, thanks for stopping by!

Interview With A Hero

Today's guest is Brendan Hunter, hero of my June release, OUT OF THE BLUE. Please help me welcome him.


CC: Brendan, thank you for joining us today. First, let’s start with your name. Brendan is an unusual name for a hero.

BH: Hmm, have you heard of Brenda Fraser? Saint Brendan, patron saint of sailors?  Nevermind, I was named after my father and am actually Brendan Hunter IV. My dad was called Trey, but I’ve always used my full name. The Brendan came because our Hunter family once lived in Galway, which is where Saint Brendan founded his monastery.

CC: I beg your pardon, I meant no offense. It’s a very nice name. I believe you grew up on a cooperative farm.

BH: You can call it whatever you wish, it was a hippie commune that evolved with the times. You don’t find people named Moonshadow or Prairie Flower on your average farm. For that matter, my own mom is named Blossom. I left there when I was a kid.

CC: What precipitated the change and where did you go?

BH: When I was ten, my dad was shot while trying to rob a convenience store. I have a lot of baggage from that event and I don't want to get into it here. Dad's parents—my grandparents—had never spoken to me until that time. They swooped in and told me I was the last of the Hunter line and it was my duty to excel and make the most of myself. They convinced me my mom would be better off without me.

CC: How tragic for you and for your mom.

BH: Better believe it. That was a rough time. At the same time they told me my mom would be better off with me living with them, they told my mom they could help me more than she ever could. My grandparents told me they’d find Mom a job in a health food store, which was what she’d always wanted. The catch was that I had to come with them or they wouldn’t help my mom.

CC: They wanted you pretty badly, didn’t they?

BH: Not me really, just the product of their genes. After the first few days I understood why my dad had run away and joined the commune, um, I mean the cooperative farm. They were rigid people with narrow minds. They had a great home filled with wonderful art and antiques, but there was no joy in them or their home—only rules. But, to make sure my mom had what she wanted, I agreed to their terms.

CC: What were those terms?

BH: I had to go to the so-called “best” schools. There was no chance to take the classes that interested me. My grandparents decided everything. Before then, my mom had home schooled me and had done a tremendous job. I was ahead of the class my age when I started prep school. Then I went to Yale. When I finished Yale with my master’s in business, I believed I’d fulfilled my obligation.

CC: What did you do to let your grandparents know your feelings?

BH: (Laughs) I told them I was entering the Dallas Police Academy. They were livid, of course. Threatened to cut me out of their will—as if I cared.

CC: Did they retaliate toward your mom?

BH: Oh, yes, did they ever! She lost her job, but she soon found another near me. We were reunited and loved it. Soon my grandparents were in a fatal car crash. They hadn’t had time to change their will, or else that was just a threat, because I inherited their entire estate. Man, they had more than I’d ever dreamed, but they were so selfish they didn’t even leave a legacy to servants who’d worked for them for thirty years. I took care of that, as well as some charities and such.

CC: I guess the business degree came in handy with the estate to manage.

BH: Yes, but I found a friend who helps me with it, a lawyer I went to school with. Between us, the amount has grown even though I’ve given a lot away. The first thing I did was buy my mom her own health food store in Radford Springs. That’s where I found a job in the police force. Great place to live. Then I bought Mom a home on the shores of Possum Kingdom Lake. She’d always wanted to live overlooking a lake. When we saw that house, we knew it was The One.

CC: Possum Kingdom Lake is a lovely place. You were very generous to your mom.

BH: Hey, a guy has to take care of his mom. But I bought myself a nice condo in Radford Springs, only a few blocks from the police station. Very conventient.

CC: You like police work better than being a financier?

BH: You bet. I like making a difference in the world. I'm a detective now and have risen pretty fast. Some guys think my money made a difference. I don't think so. I've worked hard and take pride in my job. The worst part of it was losing my partner, Larry Farris, in a drive-by shooting that left me too wounded to attend his funeral. That was tough.

CC: Brendan, I'm so sorry. Please accept my condolences. What about your heroine, Deirdre Dougherty?

BH: Ah, now that's a pleasant question. At first I thought Deirdre was crazy. She soon proved me wrong.

CC: Sounds intriguing, Brendan. Thanks for stopping by today. Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers?

BH: Only that if they want to read more about Deirdre and me, they should buy OUT OF THE BLUE from The Wild Rose Press.

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

Also available at http://www.amazon.com/

Family History as Story Material

Don't forget, dear friends, my May 31 prize giveaway is drawing near!!! Each comment on a May blog enters you in the drawing. Signing up as a follower counts a second entry. Be sure and include your email address and tell me if you also signed up as a follower. I'll draw early on June 1st.

Now to talking about family history as story material. You realize, I'm sure, that I don't want you to write a book in which all your relatives appear in their most annoying form. No, we do have to continue to be a part of our family. My intent is to suggest that events in the life of someone in your family may spark an idea for a character or a plot. For instance, my grandmother once told me a short anecdote about a girl her age in her little village in Tennessee. The girl had a horrid life and the other kids taunted her mercilessly. The girl quit school rather than be subjected to the ridicule. My grandmother's story touched me and I thought how nice it would have been if that little girl had found a better life after her years of misery. That sparked the character of Pearl in THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE.  

Darling 1 has decided to write a nonfiction book about an event that happened to my grandfather, who had to shoot someone to defend himself and his family. Unfortunately, the man he killed was his wife's uncle. Not a pleasant story, but one that began years before at the end of the Civil War with family animosity. Apparently, my grandparents were from feuding families and left Georgia for Texas in an attempt to escape the anymosity.

I am amazed at the number of historical writers who use events in their family. My friend Jeanmarie Hamilton has a fascinating family tree that includes many early Texas settlers. Ashley Kath-Bilsky's ancestor was an early Pinkerton agent.

Family lore can apply to contemporary writers, too. How many of us see tragic things happen to relatives and recognize a chain of events as a cause. Why not rewrite life and create a happy ending? 

What about your family history? I'll bet you have the seeds for innumerable stories.