Romance at Heart Magazine Author Interview: Debora Hill, and Sandra Brandenburg

Interview with Debora Hill, and Sandra Brandenburg:

Hi Debora and Sandra. Thank you for doing this interview. I would like to welcome you to the Romance at Heart Interview and Author Grilling session. *bg* We are interested to find out as much about you as we possibly can, so lets get started...

- Please tell us about your latest book.

This novel is a rather unusual fantasy, a dimension travel -- two men and two women are transported from modern-day Chicago to The Land of the Wand. The romantic elements of the story are on several levels and include a pivotal Romeo and Juliet affair about the children of two rival kings as well as a middle-aged love affair and an affair between a young woman and the rock star chosen to lead a Holy War.

- What can we expect from you in the future?

There will be three more volumes in the Lost Myths Saga, following the characters through the development of their lives and love and the challenges they face in the parallel dimension.

How do we find out about you and your books?

Try our website: www.lostmythsink.com

- How may readers contact you?

Through the www.lostmythsink.com website or for Debora: debhill@att.net and for Sandra: sandmyth@yahoo.com. Through our email is the best way.

- Do your fans' comments and letters influence you in any way?

We love to hear from fans! We get so excited we eat chocolate!

- Do you have a favorite comment or question from a reader?

"Where's the second volume?"
"I kept looking for the anomalies, and everytime I found one, you cleared it up in the next paragraph!"

- Why did you decide to write romance novels?

We actually started the series as fantasy, and the characters demanded romance in their lives.

How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?

We could tell you, but we'd have to kill you...

- When did you first think about writing and what prompted you to submit your first ms?

Sandra says: The first time I thought I could succeed as a writer was in third grade, when the class selected my play to present.
Debora says: I don't know when I first thought about writing professionally; I started writing professionally when I was sixteen and my first nonfiction was published when I was 18. I had to wait until I was 41 for my first novel to be published...in between I've been a rock music journalist, a fine arts journalist, an investigative journalist, a screenwriter, a television writer and an editor.

- Generally, how long does it take you to write a book?

We have no idea. We're always working on two many things at once, since we also work in film and possibly soon in stage.

- Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

We set a schedule for our collaborative work; for our solo work we try to do a set number of pages a day, unless one of our colleagues needs something, as they usually do!

- What is your writing routine once you start a book?

Debora says: I am working on three novels at this time, and have been for about two years. I write 50 pages of each as a block, then leave it and go on to the next until I come back to the first. Then I read everything I wrote before -- it looks new to me and I change a lot after going back.
Sandra says: I tend to do most of my best writing between 1 and 4 in the morning, when my kitten is asleep. No, you don't want to call me before 11 am.

- What about your family, do they know not to bother you when you are writing - or are there constant interruptions?

Sandra says, that's why I write between 1 and 4!
Debora says. everyone is afraid of me...they leave me alone.

- What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

Go out too much, shop too much, see too many movies, go out too much, entertain too much...everything! We love it all...

- What truly motivates you in general? In your writing?

Sandra says, the characters do battle inside my head until I let them out.
Debora says, I have no idea...I've never done anything else.

- Where do your ideas come from?

The little voices in our heads...

- Do you feel humour is important in women's fiction and why?

Humor is important in all fiction; it points out the fallacies of the human condition.

- What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels, do you find them difficult to write?

NO; we love them! We've all been there, we all hope to be there again...Sandra wants to point out that she's still there.

- What kind of research do you do?

Sometimes, we do a lot; we want our historical references to be accurate, and we studied history a lot in college. Also as Neo-Pagans, we are very interested in the history of our own people, the Celts.

- Would you like to write a different genre than you do now, or sub-genre?

We have also written (but not yet published) three romantic suspense novels and a coming-of-age romance. Also, a mainstream comic novel to accompany a film script and we are currently working on a true-life story about a Czech defector, novel and script.

- What does your husband think of your writing?

Sandra's husband Tom says we're marvelously brilliant!
Debora's not married and the cats aren't talking...

- Do you ever ask him for advice?

We both us ask him...he's our proofreader.

- Please tell us about yourself (family, hobbies, education, etc.)

We live in Northern California. We met in high school, we met Sandra's husband Tom in college, we've been friends ever since. We have lots of pets, we love to travel, attend museums, the theatre, concerts, picnics. We love to entertain and go shopping! We have no children, which is probably why we love our friends' children so much. We will probably be going to Ireland this summer to meet our colleagues at ShadowHawk Films.

- Fill in the blank favorites -

Dessert: Sandra: Chocolate covered strawberries. Debora: hot fudge sundaes with coffee ice cream...
City: San Francisco (second favorites, San Diego, Vancouver).
Season (what season is it? That's our favorite).
Type of hero Sandra: tall, dark and thinking. Debora: tall, dark or light, dangerous.
Type of heroine powerful, feisty, intelligent, ambitious, funny.

- What are some of your favorite things to do?

Read, design costumes, sew, cook for parties, shop, go to museums, parks, zoos, wild animal parks, anything with animals, go out to eat, go to movies, go to live theatres, Ren faires, all fairs...

- Do you have a favorite author?

In romance...Georgette Heyer, hands down.

- Favorite book?

Sandra says, Bath Tangle. Debora says, These Old Shades (now there's my hero...)

- Who are some of your other favorite authors to read?

Carole Nelson Douglas, Lilian Jackson Braun, Jennifer Crusie, Charlotte Armstrong, Charles Dickens, Katharine Kerr, Agatha Christie, Robert Frost...we could go on all night!

- Who, if anyone, has influenced your writing?

Sandra says, Debora and Robert Heinlein
Debora says, don't think so...maybe George Bernard Shaw and William Shakespeare

- Are you a member of any author groups - RWA, critique groups, etc.?

Broad Universe

- What do you think of critique groups in general?

We've never belonged to one.

- Where do you see yourself in five years?

At the Academy Awards

- How long have you been writing - have you always wanted to be a writer?

Pretty much, yes.

- How many books have you written, how many have been published?

This is Sandra's first published book, as her work has been mainly as an editor -- until now! She's working on several solo projects now, which she won't let me read yet. I have several available from Fire Mountain Press

- After you've written your book and it's been published, do you ever buy it and/or read it?

We buy copies for our friends, and we do read them again...

- Among your own books, have you a favorite book?

This is our very favorite of the books we've written, but the next one out will probably become our favorite, too!

- Favorite hero or heroine?

Sandra says, her favorite hero is Evan, and her favorite heroine is Valaura (from The Land of the Wand) Debora says, her favorite hero is David Blakely and her favorite heroine is Elizabeth Anderson (from Rumour Has a Memory)

- What book for you has been the easiest to write?

Our first collaborative novel, not yet published, BEYOND THE GLASS RAINBOW.

- The hardest?

The novel we're writing about the Czech defector, GO WEST, YOU IDIOT! English is not his first language...

- The most fun?

The Lost Myths Saga

- Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?

For The Lost Myths Saga, I had a very basic idea of four people who are transported to another dimension. That was it...we built on that.

What are the elements of a great romance for you?

Great hero and heroine, first. Then a great conflict and difficulty in getting or staying together. To write a great romance you must have been in love, perhaps to have lost in love, to understand how much it means.

- What is the hardest part of writing/the easiest for you?

Sandra says, checking and re-checking for errors and continuinty is the hardest; the easiest is feeding off what Debora has done.
Debora says, starting a new project is hardest, and I agree with Sandra about the easiest part. We're psychic vampires.

- Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

Well, we start out in control, then one day they've run away and dragged us with them!

- Have you experienced writer's block---> If so, how did you work through it?

Sandra says yes, when she was working fulltime she was mostly too tired to write.
Debora says no, not that she can remember.

- What is the most rewarding thing about being a writer?

The positive feedback from people who love the book. So far, everyone has! Yippee!

- If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

At this point, we really cannot imagine anything. Living on the street?

- Are there any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

Debora says, William Goldman said, "Nobody in Hollywood knows anything". That goes for publishing. Remember that when they don't like you...they know nothing.

Sandra says, always trust yourself, never trust the 300 people who reject you. Number 301 will love your work.

- What question would you love to answer that I didn't ask?

What's it like to work in collaboration? Insane. We love it. Everyone should try it at least once.

Thank you very much Debora and Sandra for taking the time with us and answering our questions. I really appreciate this interruption to your busy schedule. Good Luck, and we will be looking forward to the next delightful creation from your talented imagination!

Yours in good reading,
Rose!

Debora and Sandra's Site Interview Review Coming Soon
Buy Debora and Sandra's Books At Amazon
Buy Debora and Sandra's Books at Fire Mountain Press