Interview

Hi, CH and welcome. I am so glad you could join us here at

RomanceJunkies. To start, will you please tell us a little bit about your current projects?

 

Hi Brooke! Thanks so much for the opportunity to be interviewed by Romance Junkies. 

 

Right now, I'm supposed to be finishing up revisions for a short story that The Wild Rose Press is considering for St. Patrick's Day, but my brain isn't quite ready to dive into the project, so here I am. 

 

I just turned in the edits for the third book in my Irish Western Series,

PEARL'S REDEMPTION, due out in June of 2008 from Five Star Publishing. I've already started the fourth book in the series, John Reilly's story, A GIFT FROM HOME, which begins in Ireland, but have other projects that take precedence. I've even had Michael Flynn waking me up nights, apparently he wants his OWN story, too! But I haven't met the love of his life yet, so he'll just have to wait. J The second book in the series, THE RANCHER'S HEART was released from Five Star in February and started off an amazing year with an absolutely gorgeous cover. The cover gods have smiled upon me this year. J Check them out at my website: www.chadmirand.com or my myspace page: www.myspace.com/ch_admirand     I've had wonderful reviews for TRH...4.5 Blue Ribbons from Romance Junkies reviewer

Natasha Smith and 4 Stars from RT. 

 

The third book in my Medieval trilogy, A SCOT'S HONOR, is being

released August 23rd from The Dark Castle Lords, www.thedarkcastlelords.com   and I'm in the nail-biting phase, waiting for the first reviews to come   back.

 

The first two books, THE LORD OF MEREWOOD KEEP and THE SAXON BRIDE, released in February and March from The Dark Castle Lords received rave reviews from Jennifer A. Ray, reviewer for CK2s Kwips & Kritiques and Natasha Smith of Romance Junkies, 4.5 Klovers and 5 Blue Ribbons! I just keep pinching myself. I had two stories published in ONCE UPON A DARK CASTLE LORD: THE DUKE, THE KISS AND THE VOW and LEGEND OF LOVE, the Anthology released in February from The Dark Castle Lords.

 

The first book in my Regency-era trilogy, PATIENCE, came out in print

July 21st from The Wild Rose Press. www.thewildrosepress.com ... check out the cover, it's too-die-for. I have the synopses for books 2

and 3, but need to find the time to write them. <g> Even though I was supposed to write CHARITY first, PRUDENCE is bugging me...I may have to re-think the sequence of events, or Lady Prudence and Lord McLeod (Duncan) will be waking me up nights until I write their story. 

 

I've got a few projects that I'm itching to find the time to write:

The Circle G Ranch...the Garahan Brothers: Tyler, Jesse and

Clint, three gorgeous men trying to save their ranch by drawing straws to decide who will take on the night job in addition to the daily chores. Who knew Tyler would end up working at a bar not hauling in kegs of beer as he envisioned, but by taking off his clothes!

 

Then there's the Atlanta PD Detective and the redhead with a fondness for sex toys. Brooke, the list is making me tired just reading through it! :0) But I love to write and having soooo many deadlines in one year, and I'm not complaining, after the six years since my first book was published until February when THE RANCHER'S HEART came out, but it's hard to fit it all in along with my day job, my volunteer job for my home chapter, PAN Liaison for NJRW and of course my family...well, a girl gets a little overwhelmed at times. ;) BUT, I wouldn't trade a minute of this year for anything! I've truly been blessed.

 

Do you remember what your first "real" writing project was? Did you write it out by hand or use some other method?

 

Actually, it was the one that got me started. In 7th Grade, my English teacher, Mrs. Smith, asked the class to take one of the objects she'd displayed on her desk and imagine they were that object and write about what it would be like...oh, and we had to draw a picture of it too. I'd always loved to draw and had a pretty good pencil drawing of a sand dollar, but then I had to imagine being one and writing about it...that was harder, but the joy of writing was definitely sparked with that first assignment. 

 

You're pounding away the keyboard, and it is time for a break. How do you spend the time? Walking around? Checking email? Something else?

 

Actually, I do all of the above, but try not to get sucked into checking email, because once I get started, I'm usually tempted to head over to my myspace page and see what's going on over there, or get started updating the color-coded excel spreadsheets I have for the PAN activities for NJRW. There are waaaay too many distractions if I minimize the project I'm working on. So I try to resist the temptation, save the page I'm working on and leave it on the screen. I get up and walk right into the kitchen and turn on the tea water. Earl Grey is soothing, but sometimes too soothing, so I go for the stouter British Blend tea.

 

On days when you are bone tired, but know you must get at least a few pages done, how do you motivate yourself to get going?

 

I'm such a wimp sometimes, I usually tell my family, and one of them will badger me, reminding me that I have deadlines to meet, characters to write about. My daughter is really good at harassing me and usually tells me to put on my big-girl panties and get in there and write. I really love my family. <g>

 

A fellow writing friend has had it! She is sure she'll never be published. She is throwing in the towel. What do words of wisdom do you have so that she'll change her mind?

 

LOL...this one's easy...I remind her that she'll NEVER know how close she was to getting published if she gives up now. That it won't pay to have that garage sale and sell off all of her reference books (yeah, I considered that, too) because if she gives up, she won't be happy.

There are many fellow writers who are out there reading this that will agree with me, some of us cannot quit writing because we HAVE to write. We simply cease to exist as a person if we stop. In times of high stress, family illness or death, financial crises, our writing has to be put on the back burner for a little while, but during that time we find ourselves slowly going a bit crazy. Writing is a part of who we are. Besides, I then remind her of the 99 rejections before I sold my first book, and the ones I received over the last 6 years in between selling that first book and the second. Then if she's still not convinced,

I remind her that she needs to adopt my Irish ancestor's family motto..."Aut Vincan, Aut Periam," translation: "I will either conquer or perish."

 

When you have a few minutes to yourself, what is your favorite way to spend them?

 

Don't laugh...I read. J or if the cash flow isn't going toward college tuition payments, I head off to the bookstore.

 

What grows in CH Admirand's garden? What is the one thing that you wish you could grow but just won't thrive under your magic touch?

 

Literally? I can't grow Cleome to save my life. I LOVE them...and my darling daughter and niece used to call them faery flowers when they were toddlers (they'll both be 21 in a few months...Lord time flies.)

I've had to stop planting the vegetable garden, because I haven't the time to devote to caring for it, but love to let our flower gardens go wild.

 

I have butterfly bushes, wisteria, coneflowers, honeysuckle, lilacs and a variety of other perennials, etc. that do thrive in our yard…so long as I don't have to water them or weed them often.

 

How did you and your husband meet? I know you've said it was love at first sight…but what about him made you know that?

 

We met while I was a junior in high school and leading people to their seats before our school production of West Side Story. I thought I was extremely grown-up wearing a black skirt (calf-length) and high heels while the other usherettes were still wearing mini skirts. ;) ANYWAY,

I didn't know that he was up in the lighting booth watching me, I found that out later when he offered to take me home since my brother, who was supposed to drive me, had a hot date that was burning up the front seat of his car waiting for him to ditch me. <sigh> Brothers!

 

We were standing in the hallway and my brother was rushing through the introduction, reminding me that of course I knew who DJ wa he'd been to the house countless times (how would I know? I always had my nose buried in a book!) and then he finally threw up his hands and said he had to go. That's when I looked at DJ and had this funny feeling inside, like something clicked and the world tilted just a bit to the left, and I swear my heart just knew I spend the rest of my life with him. When we were sitting at the IHOP and the waitress delivered my coffee and his slice of apple pie and glass of milk, he looked up and me and started to say something, then stopped, and knocked his glass of milk over. And that was it. 

 

Guess what!?! You get to go anywhere you want! No worries about packing or traveling itineraries or even securing a passport. You just get whisked there! Where are you being whisked to? Have you been there before?

 

If only my faery-god mother were listening....Ireland! Hands-down. I've dreamed of going so many times. My mother's family is from Ireland. I've got faerys and leprechauns around the house, pictures of Ireland and books about our heritage. Our daughter has been studying and competing in Irish Step Dance for the last 11 years, so it's in the blood.

 

If you could arrange it so I could stop off in Scotland and England on the way home, life would be beyond sweet. 

 

What was the most romantic gift you've ever received? What about the best one you've ever given?

 

That would be a toss up between the black satin, high-heeled maribou slippers or the moss agate, amethyst and silver Celtic necklace.

 

The best gift...and I'll always treasure the look on my hubby's face, the hand-made leather handcuffs with the soft lining. I was working at the NY Rennaisance Faire at the time at The Leather Worx...long story. Then again, I remember our kids being horrified. LOL!

 

How do you describe CH Admirand? How does CH Admirand's husband describe her?

 

A responsible (extremely anal) woman who loves her husband, children and family with all her heart and is lucky enough to be able to bring life to the characters that live in her head and heart instead of being confined to a padded room somewhere. ;)

 

Hmmm...that's probably more difficult...let me ask him...

Ok...here's what DJ said: "I'm a very creative, menopausal woman who cares deeply for her family." Although not quite the answer I was hoping for,and I did ask him if there wasn't something else he really meant to say, he smiled at me and reminded me he tries not to lie because it's too hard to keep all of the stories straight. Lord I just love that man's honesty. LOL!

 

MORE FUN…

 

Ahhh... those lazy days of summer are in full swing! What is your "trademark secret" for beating the heat… or at least cooling off a bit?

 

I turn on the fans, drink a lot of water and eat ice cubes.

 

Which would be better, and why: a maid for a day or a day at the spa?

 

I'm a little intimidated by the idea of a day of leisure at the spa, so I'd have to say a maid for a day. I'm used to doing housework. <g>

 

What is the one thing in your closet that should have gone years ago but that you'll keep forever?

 

My grandfather's bright pink Izod golf sweater.

And lastly, no interview of a writer would be complete without this question: what is your favorite comfort food?

 

Home-made Sweet Potato Praline Pie...I have a killer recipe.

 

Okay, that sounds positively decadent!   Yum!   Thank you so much, CH, for spending time with us, and continued success with your writing!

By Brooke Wills

Romance Junkies Publishing Editor

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