Romance at Heart Magazine Author Interview: Melissa Wathington

Interview with Melissa Wathington:

Hi Melissa. 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...

- Why did you decide to write romance novels?

Simply put I’m in love with love! I am such a huge sucker for romance. I’ve been reading romance novels since I was a young teen and now even in my 30’s I can’t enough of the “happily ever afters”. I was always told my head was in the clouds. But, I just love to see the best man find the right woman.

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

I think I lend a lot of my personality to my writing. I have a sarcastic, dry wit that comes across in certain stories and my love for all that is mushy is evident. But, when it comes to using my real life experiences, I tend to shy away from that. I will draw from life and things I have witnessed and know about but other than one story, I stay away from putting my life into fiction.

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

I try so hard to set a schedule and it works well for like a week and then it goes flying out of the window. My life, like everyone else’s, tends to be very unpredictable so I try but I’m much better just going with the flow when the story is really working inside my mind.

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

Not bother me? I wish! My family, God love them, thinks my writing is great but they are waiting on me to produce the next million dollar selling series like Harry Potter so until I do, they feel free to interrupt me while I’m typing away. Don’t get me wrong; they don’t go out of their way to bother me. But, I do have a lot of interruptions because they don’t take my writing time as seriously as I do.

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

I like to read, of course and listen to music. Spending time with the kids in my family helps me a lot – just to get the chance to play and let go of my worries at the time. It recharges my batteries in such a good way.

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

I like to see sexy love scenes, ones that give you the heat without going overboard. I like tastefully written scenes about sex- I think they should help demonstrate the bond between the hero and heroine, not degrade the story line. It is difficult for me to write love scenes at times; it all depends on what mood I’m in when I sit down to write. Listening to love and romantic songs makes the writing smoother.

- Who, if anyone, has influenced your writing?

I’ve been influenced by so many different writers and of course by some strong women in my own life. I’d have to say Brenda Jackson, Francis Ray and Torey Hayden and their writing style had the biggest influence on me.

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

I found this to be a very interesting question because most of the time I feel like I’m in control of my characters. It was one of the first things I fell in love with about fiction writing- the ability to create my own world, with these people with all kinds of lives. But, there are times that once a story starts, that the character actually talks to you and leads their own storyline…lol. I’ve had a few go places I would’ve never taken them but they had minds of their own!

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

If I wasn’t writing, I’d probably be a bookstore owner. I love being around books and I’ve always had the picture in my mind of exactly what I’d want it to look like. A big children’s section, a small café and a little gift section. Very personalized and homey feeling.

- Where do you see yourself in five years?

Actually I don’t know where I’ll be in five years. I never imagined myself here five years ago! I’d hope to have my In My Dreams series completed and possibly one or two other releases. I’d like to parlay my writing into other directions, like becoming a book editor for a large publishing house and possibly becoming a literary agent.

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!

Melissa's Website Melissa and Rae's Bookstore Email Melissa Interview
Buy In My Dreams From Lavender Isis Press
Buy Other Books at LIP