Friday's Guest - Qaey Williams

Today Title Magic meets Qaey Williams - finalist in American Title V

Qaey's entry for the American Title contest was a romantic suspense, set in Alaska, but she also has another identity, as Qwillia Rain, when she walks on her wilder side, writing for Loose Id, publishers of erotic romance. Her latest, Diablo Blanco Club - Unfair Advantage came out at the end of January. (A hot romance that is definitely for the over eighteens.) The book got 5 Blue Ribbons from Romance Junkies.

Fellow ATV finalist Evonne invited Qaey to talk to Title Magic about her writing life and tell us a little about her dual personalities.

In my regular life I’m a teacher. I walk into my classroom—three rows of five tables with two computers on each—and wonder, ‘what in the world am I doing here?’ After a Dr Pepper or two, the first class or two of the day, and a heated discussion with a student about the merits of using a spreadsheet program to organize data for the Science Fair, the question becomes moot.
Why?
Because I KNOW I was born to teach. It’s been a part of my nature all my life and only required the formal instruction gained through university to hone my skills. I love learning knew things and imparting that knowledge to my students. I’ll never really know if I’ve inspired any of them, but I do know I’ve made the effort to show them another world for them to explore.
In my other life, the one spent staying one step ahead of serial killers, enticing old high school crushes to have a little fun, and helping a savvy submissive show the Dom she was meant to be with just what he’s been missing, I write. I stare at the blank screen of my computer and spin amazing fantasies of interesting lives, thrilling adventure, and sexy encounters in my mind and pray that when they come out on the page they’re at least half as intriguing to the reader as they were in my head. The refrain ‘what in the world am I doing here?’ is even louder in this particular venue as in my regular life, but when associated with my writing life, it’s easier to ignore.
Why?
Because I’m learning that I was meant to write. I don’t ever remember a time when I couldn’t or didn’t read. Books were an integral part of my home life from early childhood. The stories on the page, the characters spun in the words, all created a landscape that was fascinating to explore.
When I write, I let my mind wander as a story is developing. I allow the people in my mind to flesh out their history to me. At times, I grow impatient with their secrecy and try to inject what I think happened, but they’re quick to correct me.
In many ways, I believe I was also born to write. Especially romance. I love a happy ending. One that satisfies the need to see two people trust in their emotions and the feelings of another to make the world they inhabit complete.
To be completely honest, I’ve been writing for thirty years. I know the stories from my youth were simplistic and juvenile, but considering I was eleven or twelve at the time, it was only natural. I never really thought I would ever see my work published. Yes, I dreamed and fantasized about a huge book contract that would lift me into the ranks somewhere close to those authors I adore and admire: Linda Howard, Mary Jo Putney, Johanna Lindsey, and so many others. But, I also knew the reality. Just like for every famous actor in Hollywood there are tens of thousands of pretty people looking for their break, I knew the likelihood of publication were slim.
When the rejections came in from different editors and agents, it only reinforced my understanding that success might not be in my future. Still I continued to write. I practiced my craft. I analyzed stories, read manuals, listened to other authors, even took a class or two on creative writing in order to improve my skills.
There were times I walked away from the characters whispering to me. I ignored their stories and got on with the day to day grind of living. The voices quieted and I settled into my routines.
Then, I moved to Alaska and the voices started up again. Instead of ignoring them, I picked up the pen and began to jot down what they had to say. Comments turned into dialogue. Dialogue turned into scenes, and by 1996 I was back to writing again.
I wasn’t dedicated to it. Every few days I’d write down an idea. Maybe scribble out the particulars of a scene, but nothing concrete. By 2000 I’d turned to writing my romance novels as a means of stilling the thoughts in my head at night. Typing out the conversations, the lovemaking, the arguing and making up, I purged the frustrations and pent up emotions from the day onto the page at night. And I liked what I was reading.
I liked it so much I even got up the nerve to submit it to publishers. And I was rejected. But this time, I knew this was a calling for me. It couldn’t be ignored anymore.
So I wrote.
I wrote story after story. I rewrote some stories so many times they were no longer recognizable as the original story they were. And I kept submitting them. And, yes, I continued to gain rejections, but now they really didn’t matter. I was writing. I was having fun. And I liked the people coming to life on the pages.
On Halloween morning 2007 it happened.
I received an email from an editor with Loose Id, LLC asking about a book I’d submitted—a Christmas themed story about a woman curious about her toymaker boss who just happened to be a Dominant. Within two weeks I had the contract in my hand and the little voice in my head was cursing a blue streak. The gist of the comments being, ‘what in the Hell have you gotten yourself into?’
That same voice was still vocal last week as I put stamp to envelope and mailed off my fourth contract with Loose Id, LLC, but this time it was more along the line of ‘okay, so which story do I work on next.’ The ‘what the Hell are you doing?’ comments were there, but they were easier to ignore this fourth time around. LOL.
The notification that I’d been selected as a finalist for American Title V thrilled me to no end. Being the first one eliminated sucked. I freely admit I was deeply disappointed, but I haven’t given up. I won’t give up. I like what I do, both in my regular life and my writing life. I don’t think that will ever change.

Qwillia currently has three books released with Loose Id.
She shares her website with another author, Jennifer Cole. Feel free to browse through the pages, if you're over 18.
Qaey/Qwillia can be reached through her author email-- qwilliarain@gmail.com

Meet Evonne Wareham: American Title V Finalist!

Hello! It's Magical Mel (Thanks for the moniker, Sav!)And I'm here to welcome you to our last ATV interview. I'd like to take a moment to thank all of the finalists for spending some of their precious time with us over the past two weeks. It was wonderful to meet all of you! Or in some cases, it was wonderful to see you again. :-) Good luck, ladies. Enjoy the ride!

Since we all met each other at the beginning of ATIV, we've had lots to cheer about. ATIV itself; Trish, Savanna, and Anitra's sales; Anitra and Evonne's Launching a Star contest finals. (I'm sure I'm forgetting something. You may apply the wet noodle in comments!) I think it's appropriate, however, that as we approach our first anniversary here at Title Magic, we get to celebrate by watching one of our own compete in the same contest in which we met. Congrats, Evonne! We're so proud of you!

All righty, enough squishy stuff. Evonne! Who are you and where are you from?

I’m Evonne, and I come from Barry, which is a large town on the South Wales coast, not far from the Welsh capital city, Cardiff. Those who are into the cult series Doctor Who and Torchwood would recognize landmarks from the area, as it's where they are both filmed.

Mel: Last year, we all competed with paranormal manuscripts, but this year's contest is a genre free-for-all. What's your book's title, and subgenre?

Evonne: My manuscript is called Never Coming Home. It's a contemporary romantic thriller. I seem to have tuned into my dark side while I was writing it, as it has a very high body count and a number of characters meet rather gruesome ends. Not all of them the bad guys.

Mel: Sounds like one of those dangerous books! Can you tell us a little more?

Evonne: Kaz Elmore’s four-year-old daughter died in a car crash while on holiday in the States with her father. Now, six months later, Kaz gets a visit from a guy called Devlin. His account of what happened that day is very different from the one Kaz got from her ex-husband. She needs to find out the truth, and Devlin seems to be the only person who is willing to help her. But can she trust him?

Mel: When we talked about the book earlier, you mentioned that it opens in the U.S., but then it moves to London, and then to Florence. Why were those locations important to you?

Evonne: They were significant for me and for the book. I needed the car crash involving Kaz's daughter to be somewhere that was a long way from home, so that she knows very little about what happened, and is too overcome with grief to ask. Also Devlin is living in the States. Hiding out, if you like. Everyone thinks that he is an American, but he's not, he was born in Hackney, in London. He used to work for a very secret branch of the security services, which I invented for the purpose. When the book opens he is 'retired' and living under a new name.

London and Florence are two of my favorite cities. I lived for a long time in London, and I'd love to live in Italy. I hope that the atmosphere of both comes across in the book. There are also brief trips to France, Lake Garda, also in Italy, and Cardiff, in a short but vital scene at the end of the book. I always like to put a small glimpse of Wales into everything I write.

Mel: To this small-town Midwestern girl, that all sounds so exotic and beautiful! I can't wait to read your excerpts when voting starts. Can you tell us more about the conflicts in Never Coming Home?

Evonne: The book has quite a complex plot, so I had to weave the progress of the love affair and the emotional development of the characters in amongst the parts where I’m throwing people off high buildings. Both Devlin and Kaz are carrying baggage and have a lot of internal conflict. For some reason that she doesn't understand, Kaz trusts Devlin from the beginning. Everyone is telling her that she is wrong to do this and that is also what her brain is telling her, but her instinct is pushing her in the opposite direction. She is afraid that she is making a mistake, which she has made before, relying on a man to solve her problems, when she could and should be doing it for herself. She has no idea how strong she really is, or how much that attracts a man like Devlin, who admires her independence.

Kaz’s mother, Suzanne, was a wild child in the swinging 60s, and her lifestyle has given Kaz an insecure background that she is trying to repair. A lot of my books have an older woman in them, who has an influence on the heroine. I had a lot of fun imagining Suzanne's life as a model and party girl in London in the late 1960s. I will be interviewing Suzanne on author Sylvia Day's blog on 4 December. If everybody would like to drop in then you can find out more about her life.

Devlin’s got his own problems – he’s done some pretty bad things in his past, but now something inside him is changing. It looks like it may be his conscience coming to life. Meeting Kaz makes the whole situation a lot worse, because she seems to be able to push all the wrong buttons. He finds himself volunteering to help her, and it’s all downhill from there. Plus they both think that the other is hot. They don't actually managed to resist each other all that long -- my willpower wasn't strong enough – but, of course, they think that it's only a casual affair. I have news for them …

Mel: Sylvia has been so supportive of American Title. I'll be there with bells on! When you wrote NCH, did you do a lot of plotting, or are you more of a pantser?

Evonne: I’ve never been able to decide about this, because I do both. Never Coming Home was quite heavily plotted in parts, because I had to be sure that all the layers pulled together while Kaz is searching for her daughter. I had bits of plot written on cards which I kept shuffling to get them in the right order. By the sort of nasty coincidence that we evil writers like to throw into the mix, something from Devlin's past also comes back to haunt him. There was even more shuffling then, to ensure that everyone was in the right place, and even in the right country, to be doing what they were supposed to be doing.

In other parts of the book, particularly in the developing relationship between Kaz and Devlin, I often sat down to write with no idea of what was going to happen. I just let them tell me what came next. It took a bit of double checking and sorting out at the editing stage, but it all hangs together now -- I think! Now I just have to see what the readers of Romantic Times make of it.

Mel: I have to know - how did you react this time around when you heard the news you'd finaled?

Evonne: Getting the e-mail from Romantic Times was a very weird experience because, of course, I'm one of the Title Magicians who were finalists last year. So I was thrilled and excited, and also had a strange sense of déjà vu. When I sent off three chapters and the synopsis of Never Coming Home, I really didn't know if I could do it again, or even if they'd accept another entry from a previous finalist. As you know, I didn't even tell the rest of the ladies on Title Magic, not even when I got the request from Dorchester in July for the full manuscript. Only my mum and two close friends knew. They'd all encouraged me to have another try, but I didn't know what to expect. So – I’m living proof that you can have a dream come true more than once.

Mel: Well, you must be doing something right, Evonne. Dream big, and dream often! I'm looking forward to cheering you on!

Voting starts November 10th at the Romantic Times Website. These talented, yet still unpublished ladies are the future of romantic fiction. And you, reader, get to tell a major review magazine and a leading publisher exactly what you want that future to look like. YOU get to tell them what you like and what you want to read with one quick monthly e-mail.

So if you don't vote, you don't get to whine later that you can't find anything good to read. At least not to me. :-P

Thanks again ATV finalists! Good luck!

Dark Nights, Bright Lights

Welcome to the Time Of Shadows on Title Magic

Time of shadows was apparently an old Celtic name for the time between Halloween and the winter solstice. I think it's a great title for a book, and if anyone pinches it I will hunt you down.

It's anything but shadowy here on TM at present, because we are pushing the dark nights away with some American Title magic. American Title V. You've met four of this year's finalists - Tamara, Barbara, Edie and Qaey. Next week say hello to Marie Claude, Jessica, Michelle - oh, and me. I'll be talking to Mel on Thursday about ATV and UK author Giselle Green on Friday about starry stuff - using the zodiac to help create your characters.

And that leads me straight into STAR - Launching a Star, which is the contest of the SpacecoasT Authors of Romance. That contest has a special place in the hearts of the Title Magicians as it's the one that launched Anitra into gaining an agent and a three book contract.

The superwoman who does the co-ordinating for the contest, Lee Duncan, blogged with us in May, talking about the competition and the fun, and hard work, she has when pulling it all together. Lee's blog and Anitra's success inspired me to have a go. I have to say Lee is a smashing lady who helped me get my entry emailed in good order, during the hurricane season. We exchanged emails in amongst her picking up large bits of tree from her garden.

Then, this week I got the call - at least my Mum, who was staying with me at the time, got it, but that is completely another story. I've made it to the final, with Out of Sight, Out of Mind, which was the paranormal romantic suspense that finaled in last year's American Title. So fingers, toes, eyes crossed that something good may happen.

Voting in American Title V is just over a week away. The schedule runs from mid November to mid March. There are only 8 contestants this year, so the first two eliminations will be one person only. That will be hard, because when there are two of you it doesn't feel quite so bad. Whatever you do, don't forget to visit the RT site after 10 November to see the entries, and please remember to vote, and keep voting.

Introducing AT finalist Barbara Longley

Today we meet another of this year's American Title finalists, Barbara Longley.

Q. What is your name and where are you from?

A. My name is Barbara Jo Longley, and I was born in Silver Springs, Maryland. I live in Saint Paul, Minnesota now.

Q. What is the title of your finaling manuscript? What sub-genre is it?

A. My finaling manuscript is titled TRUE TO THE HIGHLANDER, and it’s a time-travel historical romance. Would we call that light paranormal?

Q. Can you give us a quick 100 words or so blurb about the story?

A. The heroine is a Native-American violinist, a music geek with no aspirations of becoming a hero. She is sent back in time to save the life of a young deaf boy, although she doesn’t know it’s his life she is to save until the end. She believes she’s meant to save her overbearing self-appointed protector, Malcolm of clan MacKintosh. He believes it too, so he’s always trying to keep her out of trouble, and she’s always trying to throw herself between him and danger. They fall in love, and then they both worry that the fortune teller who sent Alethia back in time will appear at any moment to send Alethia back to her own time. And of course there are some interesting subplots and intrigues.

(Oh, I love time travel stories!)

Q. What was your reaction when you found out you've finaled?

A. I was teaching a group of third graders when my critique partner, Tami Hughes, (also a finalist) called to tell me. I never saw it in my inbox; the message had gone straight to spam!
I squealed like a little girl! Shock and disbelief set in soon after the noise stopped. My students are still talking about it.

(What a fun story about how you found out.)

Q. Is this your first completed book? Fifth?

A. This is my second completed manuscript. The first is fatally flawed and will never see the light of day. I’m working on my third, another paranormal involving immortality, reincarnation, and an impossible quest.

Q. Do you have a Web site?

A. Yes, I do have a Web site, and anyone interested can read the first chapter of my finaling entry there. www.barbaralongley.com
Q. What kind of books do you like to read? Who are your auto-buy authors?

A. I love paranormals and historicals and some contemporaries. Julia Quinn is an automatic buy, Susan Elizabeth Phillips is an automatic buy, Charlaine Harris, Christina Feehan, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Julie Garwood, Lynn Kurland, so many others I can’t list them all here.

Q. What was your biggest inspiration for the story?

A. I read a book about haunted castles that told the story of the reconciliation feast between the Comyn and MacKintosh clans (sworn enemies). The Comyn Laird’s daughter haunts Castle Rait, once a holding of the Comyn clan. Her own father cut off her hands at the wrists as she tried to escape out a window. She fell to her death and haunts the castle to this day. Long story, but look it up if you’re interested. The event is pivotal to the plot of my book, which took a year of research before a single word appeared on my computer.

(OMG! He cut off her hands!)

Q. What is it you like most and admire about your heroine(s)?

A. My heroine is willing to take on responsibility for a lot of people, and she does so without a second thought. She’s so giving and loving and doesn’t even realize what a hero she truly is. She’s also a very brave and determined individual. She’s got a lot of grit, even though she comes across as shy and often insecure.

Q. What is you like most and admire about your hero(s)?

A. Oh, the hero . . . sigh. If only I could meet a guy like him. He’s so dependable, responsible, protective, and loyal . . . sure he has his faults. He’s a procrastinator when it comes to communicating important information, and he always thinks he’s right. He’s a bit controlling, but you forgive him because of the era he lives in, and because his heart is in the right place. He’d do anything for Alethia. He’d even give up his birthright for her, and he’s the Earl of Fife’s only heir. What a guy.

Q. How did you come up with one of your secondary characters?

A. In the legend of Castle Rait, we learn that the Comyn Laird’s daughter had a lover amongst the MacKintosh. The Comyn clan invited the MacKintosh to a feast of reconciliation, intending to slay them. Someone tipped the MacKintosh off to the nefarious plot, hence the Comyn’s plans failed. The Comyn Laird believed it was his daughter who tipped off her lover’s clan. So, I had to invent her lover, Malcolm’s cousin, Liam. And Alethia had to see that she’s rescued, along with saving Malcolm’s life yet again.

Q. What is the major conflict in your story?

A. There are a few conflicts, internal and external. First, Alethia is determined to do whatever it takes to get back to her own life and time, while Malcolm wants nothing more than to prevent that from happening. Next, Alethia is not an acceptable choice for a young noble to wed, and Malcolm’s father, who would not approve a union between the two, arranges an acceptable union for his heir. And finally, they both fear the being who sent Alethia back in the first place. She could return Alethia to the 21st century at any time, or she could force Alethia to remain in an era that is not hers for the rest of her life. It’s a coil. Plus there’s a bad guy who wants Alethia—not in a good way. He keeps popping up to cause trouble.

Q. Are you a plotter or a pantser?

A. Yes. Sometimes when I get stuck, I take a break to plot, and I’m always plotting in my mind, though rarely on paper. TRUE was more plotted because of all the historical information which has be accurate. My new WIP is more by the seat of the pants.

Q. Do you write to silence, or do you prefer a little noise?

A. People think I’m odd. When I write, the TV is on, or the stereo, and I’m doing other things besides. Quiet drives me nuts. I have to have noise. Years and years of teaching noisy children do you think?

Q. Who is your muse?

A. A muse? Don’t have one as far as I know. The job is open if anyone would care to apply. Requirements: at least 6 feet tall, intelligent, a little baggage is acceptable, but if you come with a custom set of luggage, forget it. Must have a great sense of humor, love animals, and have an open mind and broad shoulders.

(LOL!)

Q. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

A. I read a lot, enjoy movies, dinners out, plus I go on field trips with my critique partners. In fact, just yesterday we visited a past-life regression therapist. How interesting it that? He was fascinating by the way.

(This does sound fascinating!)

Thanks to all of you at Title Magic for making this interview possible and for all of your positive thoughts and support.

Thanks for being with us today, Barbara. And good luck as the competition -- and nail biting -- begin.

Title Magic Welcomes ATV Finalist, Edie Ramer!

Happy Monday!

Today marks the start of our much anticipated American Title V (ATV) interviews. As most of you may already know, the American Title Contest is sponsored by Dorchester Publishing and Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine. This will be the fifth year the contest has been running. This year there are only eight finalists versus the usual ten, and the categories have been left open to encompass all categories of romance fiction. For a complete list of the eight American Title V finalists, you can go to the RT blog September archives by clicking HERE. Scroll down until you see September 5, 2008. It’s the second to last blog entry.

As former American Title finalists ourselves, we want to show our support for the current ATV finalists by hosting interviews of them here at Title Magic. Here is the schedule of interviews for this week.

>> Monday (today): Mai interviews Edie Ramer
>> Tuesday: Helen interviews Qaey Williams
>> Wednesday: Lexie interviews Tamara Hughes
>> Thursday: Trish interviews Barbara Longley

The remainder of the ATV finalists interviews will be posted next week – just in time for voting for the first round of the contest which begins the following Monday, November 10th. Round 1 voting will be on the First Line. Please visit often this week and next to get to know your fellow ATV finalists.

Now, without further ado, let’s get these interviews started! Please join me in welcoming American Title V finalist, Edie Ramer, to Title Magic. Edie’s finaling manuscript is titled DEAD PEOPLE. Her short stories have been published in National magazines and she is also co-creator of an inspirational website for writers, www.writeattitude.net.

MT: Thanks for joining us here at TM, Edie, and congratulations on the ATV final! Can you tell us where you’re from?

ER: First I want to thank Mai and the other American Title IV finalists for having us. Mai, you’ve been a huge help to me, right from the beginning when I emailed you about the cover letter. :) Now, back to the question. I live in southeastern Wisconsin. Right now everyone has their Halloween decorations out and leaves of all colors are covering the lawns. It’s beautiful.

MT: I hear the weather’s been rather warm up there for this time of year. What category does your finaling manuscript, DEAD PEOPLE, fall under?

ER: It was warm, but not today! Like I said, it’s nearing Halloween, time for DEAD PEOPLE to come out and beg for candy. (That’s awful, but I couldn’t resist.) DEAD PEOPLE is a light paranormal.

MT: Can you give us a quick 100 words or so blurb about the story?

ER: When Cassie Taylor talks, ghosts listen. She wants to heal their souls so they can leave earth. Brooding songwriter Luke Rivers wants to give his newly found daughter a normal home, but he discovers his new house in small town Wisconsin is haunted by a ghost with an attitude. His ghost whisperer has an attitude too – even before someone tries to kill her. So why does he have the hots for her? And why does she lust after him? He wants conventional. She wants acceptance. No wonder she thinks men are hard and DEAD PEOPLE are easy.

MT: That sounds like a great story. Very fun and with just the right touch of kickass attitude. What was your reaction when you first found out you finaled?

ER: When I found out I’d finaled, I felt pure happiness. I wanted it so badly -- or something else wonderful. Though I didn’t expect it, I hoped for it. To me, the American Title is the romance writer’s version of American Idol. Getting a request for the full was the “You’re going to Hollywood!” call. Getting the news that I was a finalist was moving into the top ten. Only in this case, the top eight. That’s even better!

MT: This is better than the “You’re going to Hollywood” stage. You passed that when they requested the full. This is the Top 10 – or in this case, Top 8!! Do you have a website?

ER: Absolutely! www.edieramer.com. I hope people will check it out and visit my blog. I also belong to the Magical Musings group blog, www.magicalmusings.com, and the American Title V group blog, www.loveconquers.wordpress.com. And I’m a new convert to Facebook! www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=747112424. I need friends, so look me up and friend me. :)

MT: I’m a new convert to Facebook too, and love it! Not only is it a great marketing tool, but you get to meet new people who are interested in what you write and strengthen relationships and friendships you already have. What kind of books do you like to read?

ER: I feel like Sarah Palin, saying “I read them all.” I read everything from mystery to YA, and especially romance in all the genres. I read non-fiction too. Right now I’m reading a book on life between lives.

MT: I’ll refrain from making any kind of comments regarding Sarah Palin, lol. The life between lives concept sounds interesting. Who are your auto-buy authors?

ER: I can put names down here! My auto buys are Loretta Chase, Mary Balogh, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jennifer Crusie, Amy Knupp, Jan Kenny, and many more. I recently ordered Karin Tabke’s HAVE YOURSELF A NAUGHTY LITTLE SANTA and Liz Kreger’s PROMISE FOR TOMORROW. I have Cynthia Eden’s MIDNIGHT SINS on pre-order. I’m looking forward to buying Helen Scott Taylor’s THE MAGIC KNOT in February.

MT: Sounds like your average reader then. :) What is it you like most and admire about the heroine in DEAD PEOPLE?

ER: I admire Cassie’s bravery, the way she goes on with her life and doesn’t feel sorry for herself, despite her unloving childhood. No self-pity allowed. And she hasn’t allowed her childhood to harden her heart – against dead people. Live people ... well, that’s another story. I also like her snarky tongue. In real life I’d love to have her as my friend.

MT: She sounds like an interesting person, and a strong character. What is you like most and admire about the hero in DEAD PEOPLE?

ER: My songwriter hero, Luke, was the only child of a free-living and loving parent. He didn’t know his father, and his childhood was unstable. He wants to do a better job for his newly found eleven-year-old daughter. He wants to do the right thing. I love that about him. Plus he writes really good songs.

MT: Who wouldn’t love a man who loves music and is dedicated to his child? Can you tell us more about the conflict in your story, DEAD PEOPLE?

ER: It would be easy to say the major conflict was finding the person who killed the woman who’s haunting Luke’s house. But the major conflict is Cassie’s and Luke’s gaping wounds. They’ve been used and abused. Neither of them believes in happily ever after. Neither of them trusts that another person will love them without reserve, without wanting anything except to be loved by them in return. Even Luke’s daughter has been hurt by her drug-addicted mother. Although there is humor in DEAD PEOPLE (there is! Really, there is!), their lives haven’t been easy. In one way or another, they’re all damaged.

MT: So it’s a character-driven book, versus a plot-driven book. I’ve always found that most romances are character-driven. It enamors the reader more to the book, in my opinion. Are you a plotter or a pantser?

ER: I agree with your so much about characters! It’s the people that linger with me after I’ve read a really good book. I recently took a right brain/left brain test and I came out in the middle, leaning toward the right brain. That’s how my plotting is too. I know the basics about my characters (subject to change). I know the premise, their GMC, their primal needs (I got “primal needs” from Blake Snyder’s SAVE THE CAT!), an idea of the ending, and a few things that will happen along the way. That’s usually it. As I write I get insights and revelations. It keeps the story interesting for me. If I’m surprising and delighting myself, I hope I’m doing the same thing for the reader.
MT: Well, we can safely say that you’ve done the same thing for the editors at Dorchester! What do you like to do when you're not writing?

ER: I read books. The local librarians know me well. I watch favorite TV shows. (Is anyone else drooling over the lead actor in The Mentalist?) I spend time with my family. I walk my dog and pet my cat. I did a research road trip the other day with a friend, and had a blast – and a great lunch at a Turkish restaurant. I’m addicted to my email and spend too much times on blogs. I’m a serial dieter, and one day I will finally lose those last five pounds.

MT: You and me both, Edie!

Thank you so much for taking time out today to join us here at Title Magic. It was a pleasure learning more about you and hearing about Cassie and Luke. Best of luck with DEAD PEOPLE in the contest!

ER: Thanks, Mai! You and the other American Title IV finalists are awesome for doing this!

If you want to learn more about Edie and her writing, you can find her at:
www.edieramer.com
www.magicalmusings.com
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=747112424

Stay tuned tomorrow for our next American Title V finalist!