Romance at Heart Magazine Author Interview: Doreen Orsini

Interview with Doreen Orsini:

Hi Doreen. 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.

I’m in the midst of two releases. Hunting Diana was released July 14th, and Tanner’s Angel is an August release.

Hunting Diana, an erotic paranormal vampire romance, thrusts the reader into a dark world where blood still holds a strong attraction, but only when combined with passion. Since the angels took pity on Mina and Dracula and calmed the beast that spawned their minion’s undeniable hunger, Mina’s Cove has been a safe haven for a community of vampires until a hunter discovers a way to lure their strongest into his pen where they perish beneath dawn’s fiery rays. Swayed by a female vampire with ulterior motives, the elders decide that Diana, the hunter’s daughter, would pay for his crimes by becoming one of the bloodthirsty creatures vampires were before Mina’s love for Dracula saved them all. Lucian, the vampire sent to transform her, sates her hunger while he battles with his sense of duty to his kind and his love for a woman who just might be the one who lured his stepbrother to his death.

Tanner’s Angel is an erotic romantic suspense. Tanner's Angel takes a tall, sinfully handsome Texan and pits him against a vibrator wielding Manhattenite, an overbearing father, and an Italian stallion for the affections of an angel with dirty wings. Just when Tanner believes he has succeeded in winning his angel, all hell breaks loose, and Tanner's angel falls victim to a plot for revenge. Enter the world of Roselli's Bakery, where life is not as serene as it seems, where bringing fantasies to life might not be the best idea.

- What can we expect from you in the future?

I'm writing a sequel to No One But Madison that will take place on a cruise ship. I also have two more books in the Vampires of Mina's Cove series. Also, simmering on the back burners are two more bondage books, a paranormal suspense, and a novella.

- How do we find out about you and your books?

Readers can find news, excerpts, and interesting links on my website www.doreenorsini.com. I also have two blogs www.doreenorsini.blogspot.com. and www.doreenorsinisbedofthorns.blogspot.com.

If readers want to meet a group of wild, fun women and be a part of members-only contests, they can join my Doreen Orsini Romancers group by emailing doreenorsiniromancers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

I also can be found on Myspace at www.myspace.com/doreenorsini.

- How may readers contact you?

I love talking with readers. They can email me directly at doreen.orsini@yahoo.com.

- How many readers/fans contact you?

I have quite a large group of fans who email me on a regular basis. With a mailing list of over 400 readers, a group nearing 200, and around 150 myspace friends who email me there frequently, I’m always chatting with readers.

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

Actually, I recently changed a scene due to a reader’s response about an excerpt. I always take my reader’s responses to heart. Writers can get so caught up in a story that they assume understanding on the readers’ part. Our characters come to life. Sometimes, what we think is clear is only clear to us because we know all the little facts that will come out later in the book. Readers also instill confidence. No One But Madison was my first release. Shortly afterward, I received tons of emails raving about the book. I remember thinking, “Wow, I guess I can write!” It’s funny that after signing a three book deal, I thought that way, but it’s true. The readers are the ones who tell us if we succeeded or failed.

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

One reader told me that she loved No One But Madison so much that she planned on buying two copies when it went into print. One to read again and again; one to put on her shelf. Another reader emailed me after reading Hunting Diana and said that when she finished it, she realized she was addicted to my writing and felt the pains of withdrawal! As for a question? The funniest came from a male reader. He asked if I would research my next bondage book with him! Said he’d work for free! Still considering that one.

- Why did you decide to write romance novels?

Romance is what we all seek in life. That true love and passion that sweeps you away. Too few find it and those who do, discover that the magic gets lost in the responsibilities of life. I read to re-experience that magic. I write to bring it into women’s lives, even if it is just for a short while.

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

Quite a bit. It’s impossible to keep your experiences from affecting your story. Every one of my heroines has some personality trait that I possess or one I wish I did.

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

When I was around twelve, the mother of my friend died. Sadly, the woman had dropped a package with my friend’s birthday dress while crossing a busy street then turned back to retrieve it. A truck hit her. Since she was a single mother, my friend moved away to live with her older sister. To deal with that loss, I wrote about the accident and losing my friend. My father read it and announced that I was going to become an author. When family and finances sidetracked me, he relentlessly badgered me to get back to writing. Finally, I started a paranormal romance. Stephanie Laurens replied to an email I sent asking for advice. She told me to join RWA and my local chapter. Totally unprepared, I pitched that first manuscript at the LIRW luncheon and received two requests.

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

That depends on the story, my family, and the time of year. Hunting Diana took me six months. No One But Madison only took three and a half weeks.

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

When my kids are in school, I write as soon as they leave and continue until they start homework. They love it, because if I am engrossed in my writing, they get to play longer before doing homework. During the summers, I have to write whenever I can. Either way, schedules rarely work in my house.

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

Once I start a book, I write every free minute I have. I can only describe it as living in two dimensions at the same time. Sleep is rare. I always start with the opening then let the story unfold as if I’m only watching life take its course.

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

With four kids ranging in age from nine to nineteen, there are constant interruptions. They try to leave me alone, but fights, hunger, and teen woes have a way of making them forget that I’m working. Once, my two younger sons came barreling into the room. Fists were flying. I had been in the midst of an erotic scene. Well, lets just say, it took me a long time to get back into the mood.

- Where do your ideas come from?

I’m a ‘what if’ person. Not because I’m a writer. I have always thought that way. I see a woman bump into a man, and I think that if she’d had something that dropped a whole romance could have blossomed. I hear a horn, and a whole scenario plays out in my head that has nothing to do with what really happened. One of my stories came to me while I waited impatiently for the car in front of me to make a turn.

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

As far as I am concerned, they are the most complex. You have to show what each feels through their words and actions while keeping the plot involved. Also, there is always that fear of sounding sappy or unrealistic. When it comes to sex, I have to show the character’s weaknesses and fears while making sure they are not apparent to each other--or are if the story warrants that. How a couple engages in sex portrays so much about them that other scenes could never portray. So, I feel that they are not only important as a turn on for the reader, but also as a major component of the story.

- What kind of research do you do?

I am a research whore. I love it and lose myself in it sometimes. The internet, life, and people are my tools of research.

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

Since I tend to get dark and include certain thriller aspects in my books, I’d love to try a mainstream thriller. Of course, it would be pretty erotic and have a romance in it.

- What do you think of critique groups in general?

In general, I think they are the best thing a writer can do for her/his career. There is one thing you must always remember, though. Your critique partner is making suggestions. Other than typos or grammatical errors, all else must be treated as suggestions that may or may not work for your or your book. It is a great way to get feedback before submitting.

- Where do you see yourself in five years?

In five years, I hope to see my name on that NY Times bestselling author list. Hopefully, it won’t take that long!

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

I have completed four novels. Three have been published (counting August’s Tanner’s Angel). My first novel is shelved. I consider it a learning novel. Maybe I’ll fix it up and submit it if I have a break.

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

I’m so busy writing upcoming releases that I wouldn’t have time to read my books even if I wanted. After reading and re-reading a book so many times before publication, the last thing I want is to read it again. Also, I’d rather not see those typos and errors that slipped past me, my critique partners, and editor!

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

The hardest part for me is keeping one foot in the real world. I tend to get too wrapped up with my characters. Crying while typing is not easy! As for the easiest part? That first draft. I write until I reach the end. If I realize that something I wrote earlier might not jive with how the story unfolded, I simply jot a note and get back to writing.

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

My characters are in total control. They become so real that they basically tell the outcome of a scene or what scene would follow. I remember wanting to stick a scene between two others in Tanner’s Angel. No matter how I tried, I couldn’t delay the reactive scene I’d originally written. The more I looked at it, the more I realized that Angel would never do what I’d wanted.

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

Nothing is as rewarding as reading that someone thoroughly enjoyed reading your book and that your characters lingered in their minds long after finishing it.

- Are there any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

Check out those night classes at area colleges and join RWA.

Thank you very much 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!

Doreen's Website Join Doreen's Yahoo Group Check out her Blogspot Check Blogspot Buy Doreen's Books at Ellora's Cave Publishing