Romance at Heart Magazine Author Interview: Jannine Corti Petska

Interview with Jannine Corti Petska:

Hi Jannine. 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.

REBEL HEART is set in 1873, Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory. It's about a woman, Courtney Danning, who travels from New York to Santa Fe--against her father's wishes--to marry the man she swears she in love with. Barely married a few hours, her husband is killed. She refuses to return to her father and is determined to run the sheep ranch her husband owned. Ex-gunfighter, Beau Hamilton had been hired by Courtney's father to keep an eye on her. But she turns out to be more than a full-time job. And when she unknowingly gets caught up in the start of a range war, he does everything in his power to keep her safe--even if it means his life.

- What can we expect from you in the future?

In Fall 2007, my first book, THE LILY AND THE FALCON, will be re-issued from Highland Press. This is the first book in a four-book Italian Medieval series. The second book, SURRENDER TO HONOR, will be published in Spring 2008, also by Highland Press.

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

Through my website: www.jcortipetska.com, or through the Highland Press website: www.highlandpress.org.

- How may readers contact you?

Through my website, or directly at info@jcortipetska.com.
For snail mail:
Jannine Corti Petska
P.O. Box 284
San Luis Rey, CA 92068

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

Yes! I love hearing from my readers. Their letters give me feedback and help me determine what direction I'd like to take in writing future books.

- How would you describe the genre in which you do most of your writing?

I started out writing historical westerns because I grew up watching westerns on tv. But I also love the medieval period. And because I'm Italian, I started researching the Italian medieval and Renaissance. While the westerns are more gritty, less formal, my medievals present a spectacular picture of Italy in a time of beauty and splendor, a time when fashion and creativity was at its best.

- Who would you say has influenced you the most?

My mother. English was a second language for my parents, their first, of course, being Italian. My mother loved to read. She started me reading at a very young age. She always encouraged me.

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

With my Italian settings, I draw from my heritage the mannerisms and culture. One book in particular, FOREIGN EXCHANGE, was based on an incident that happened when I was 18 and staying with my uncle in Italy. From there, an entire story was developed.

- What would you say are the biggest challenges that you face?

Finding the time and energy to write. I'm very interactive with my grandkids and my four dogs. I have a home office, but it's hard not to find things to do around the house like laundry, dusting, and all that busy, but necessary, stuff. So I have to force myself to be blind to it so I can write. Of course, my dogs don't understand the writing process. When they want to play, they come and get Mom!

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

In school, I was the student who turned in pages after pages of essays. I loved doing research and writing. But I didn't consider writing a book until my late twenties when my three daughters were young. I had worked part-time at our local newspaper, and I received encouragement from an editor to put my ideas on paper. It blossomed from there.

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

From start to finish, about two to three months. Then it takes about another two months to do edits and check on research details. I usually spend about a month on my research. The entire process from idea and research to finished book is six months.

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

I definitely go with the flow. My dogs and grandkids dictate when I can actually sit and write.

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

I'll watch Italian soccer games or listen to Il Divo.

- Where do your ideas come from?

They come from all areas: a place I've read about, character names I like, song lyrics, something someone says. In other words, the ideas come from anywhere, at any time, and any place.

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

It depends on the story. I tend to write dark. However, I add a humorous scene or two just to lighten the mood and show that my characters do have a sense of humor and are not serious all the time.

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

Reading love scenes is enjoyable. However, writing them, for me, is excruciatingly painful. There is so much to consider, such as placement and positions so the hero and heroine don't come off as contortionists. I like to write love scenes with some dialogue. It breaks up the narrative so it doesn't sound like an owner's manual.

- What kind of research do you do?

I start my research on the internet or in my home library of over 2000 research books. I seldom go to the library, although there is nothing like the smell of a library. It's exciting to be surrounded by so many books! Between the internet and my home library, I usually find everything I'm looking for.

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

I have a story suited for erotic romance, but I haven't been comfortable enough to start that story. I also have several books planned that are mainstream romances and mainstream with romantic elements. I have written several romantic suspense books.

- What does your husband think of your writing?

My husband is so proud of me. He's very supportive. Of course, he wants me to make millions so he can retire!!!

- Do you ever ask him for advice?

Yes. I will brainstorm with him. I'll also ask him about a man's point of view for certain situations.

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

I was born in New York. My mother was Sicilian, and my father was born on the island of Ponza off the coast of Italy. I grew up in a very old world family. We moved to California when I was three. My school years were unremarkable. I was a good student and excelled in foreign languages. I tutored Italian, Spanish and German at a local college when my daughters were growing up. I also worked with English as a Second Language students.

I played tennis and had thought about competing on a serious level. But health issues kept me from doing that. I love soccer, especially Italian soccer, and I am a dog lover.

- Fill in the blank favorites -

Dessert--cheesecake
City--Rome
Seasons--fall/winter
Hero--strong, powerful, larger than life
Heroine--Strong, determined, knows how to handle herself if tough situations.

- Do you have a favorite author and/or a favorite book?

I loved Kathleen Woodiwiss' early books. THE WOLF AND THE DOVE was my favorite. I also liked Johanna Lindsey for her outstanding dialogue.

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

Yes, I am a member of several online chapters as well as the San Diego chapter of RWA. I am most active in Hearts Through History and Highland Press Authors.

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

I have written more than 20 books in a span of 25 years. But I didn't get serious about getting published until 1995. To date, I have three books published.

- Among your own books, have you a favorite book? Favorite hero or heroine?

I have two books I love: SURRENDER TO HONOR and LAWMAN'S LADY.

SURRENDER TO HONOR is near to my heart. It takes place in Sicily, and I wrote it in honor of my Sicilian mother. I was also fascinated by the birth of the Mafia, which this book explores. It takes place in 15th century Palermo. What makes this hero likeable to me is the fact that he doesn't believe in violence and doesn't carry weapons. The heroine settles her battles with a bow and arrow. She's a survivor and lives in the forest with other townspeople who were run off their land by an evil family.

LAWMAN'S LADY was a hoot to write. It's about a New York society woman who inherits a whorehouse in the West, but she believes it's a restaurant her aunt left her--until she arrives and discovers the truth. The hero is the sheriff of the western town. He was one of my favorite heroes to write because he was irascible and just downright ornery. Of course, the heroine tames him a bit by the end of the book.

- What will your next book be about?

I am finishing the final edit on DANTE'S FLAME, the third book in the Italian Medieval series. I am thinking about writing the fourth book next, TEMPT NOT MY HEART. Or I might do a romantic suspense. I haven't decided yet.

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

I don't strictly adhere to a formula. Sometimes I'll think of names I like for a hero/heroine and build a story around it. Other times I'll get an idea for a story and then match names to it. Or I'll pick a setting because of a historical fact or a political problem going on. For me, it's important to have character names. And a title for the book. Without either, I can't start to write.

For THE LILY AND THE FALCON, it was Cosimo de' Medici's fall from grace.
For SURRENDER TO HONOR, it was the beginning of the Mafia.
For DANTE'S FLAME, it was the French-Spanish fight for control over the Kingdom of Naples.
For TEMPT NOT MY HEART, it was the famed palio (horse races).
For REBEL HEART, it was Santa Fe, which has always pulled me to it, for some reason. And then I discovered the range wars were starting to heat up, so that decided the year the story took place.

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

They definitely control me. In SURRENDER TO HONOR, the hero and heroine practically wrote themselves. They dictated which way the story was going. Even if I tried to write an idea my way, they would change it. For example: I had wanted Antonio, the hero, to be this man who was great with a sword and ran his castle with a firm hand and took care of business the way a warrior hero coming home would. However, almost from the beginning of the book, he decided he hated violence. That made it interesting for me. So I decided to have the heroine, Prima, come to his rescue and show him that he needed to carry a weapon to protect himself. She ended up protecting them many times because he refused to pick up a weapon throughout the entire book. Also, the hero lives in a castle with a mother and three sisters. That made for some great scenes.

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

Many people believe there is no such thing as writer's block. I'm not one of them. I've stared at that blank first page for days without an idea. It can be frustrating. But I've learned to leave it alone, not to fight it. I'll get busy with research for another story or I'll read a book to get the creative juices flowing. Eventually, the opening will come to me. Sometimes, I'll write scenes that I'd like to use in the story. But what I always do is try to get into the characters' mind. I take this break in writing as a way of getting to know the hero and heroine.

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

I would have to say the sense of accomplishment. Before I wrote my first story, I started projects and never finished them, getting bored with them halfway through. Writing a story from beginning to end gives me a sense of fulfillment, like giving birth to a child. And having someone come up to me and tell me how much they loved my book is something that a writer never forgets. That a stranger or friend or family found my creativity enjoyable is such a wonderful feeling.

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

I'd probably be tutoring or doing something with languages

- Are there any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

Never give up! This is a tough business and rejection is a huge part of it. You have to learn from each rejection, improve your craft. As the saying goes, Roma non fu fatta in un giorno (Rome wasn't built in a day), and neither is a writer.

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

Who is your hero? The answer is my husband. He is always there for me, always encouraging me. He is my champion, my knight is shining armor. And my best friend.

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!

Jannine's Website Buy Rebel Heart
Buy Jannine's Books At Amazon
Buy Highland Press Books