Interview with Author Nancy Bush:
Hi Nancy. Thank you for doing this interview. I would like to welcome you to the Romance at Heart Interview and Author Grilling session. *bg* Cute dog, that Binkster. I have to tell you, I have read Unseen, the review of which will be onsite shortly, and I LOVED it! I also know readers are interested to find out as much about you as we possibly can, so lets get started...
- Do your fans' comments and letters influence you in any way?
Absolutely. I get a lot of questions about the Jane Kelly Mystery Series, which is currently on hiatus as I’m writing my first thrillers. To those fans I want to say, hang in there! Jane Kelly is my favorite writing project. I’m working on PINK CADILLAC and hope to have it in production soon.
- Why did you decide to write romance novels?
Oh, wow. I read an article in 1981 about young mothers making a career out of writing romance novels. I told my sister, fellow author Lisa Jackson, about it and voila! Here we are 28 years later!
- How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?
Anyone who’s read the Jane Kelly series can see a lot of me in Jane. Her “take on life” isn’t that far from my own. I always say she’s an amalgam of me, my sister and my daughter.
- Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?
I try really hard to stick to a schedule, but truthfully, I’m only marginally successful at it. But when I see that deadline coming at me like a freight train, that’s when I get cooking. Why I can’t space out my time, I don’t know. A flaw in my character, I guess. My sister’s exactly the same. If we don’t have our feet to the fire, we’re very la-di-dah about a routine. But when we hear the train whistle, we get moving.
- What about your family, do they know not to bother you when you are writing - or are there constant interruptions?
If I’m facing that freight train, my family’s pretty good at letting me be. The rest of the time it’s pretty much a free-for-all.
- Do you feel humor is important in women's fiction and why?
I think humor is important when it’s organic to the story. In the Jane Kelly series, it’s there because Jane is, in my opinion, pretty funny. It’s her view on life that makes for the humor. In my thrillers humor definitely takes a backseat role as I don’t want to totally break the tension of the plot.
- Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?
Although for me it’s usually the plot first, which tends to define the setting, it’s the characters that are the most fun to develop, even if they come to the party late, so to speak. All of the characters, including the villains and sub-characters, have an agenda of sorts, and the way those characters’ wants and needs affect the story is what gives the plot texture and takes it to another level or two. In UNSEEN, Charlotte, a semi-truant grade-schooler, becomes one of the reasons – maybe the main reason -- my protagonist, Gemma, is finally willing to break out of her comfort level and open the Pandora’s Box of her past. Gemma’s been an ostrich, but Charlotte, and Charlotte’s needs/wants -- along with the hero’s help – are instrumental in allowing Gemma to tap into her own strength and face some very harrowing truths.
- What are the elements of a great romance for you?
Okay, I love an Alpha-male who falls for the heroine despite himself but does something in the plot that sends the heroine into danger/misery, which then sets up the groveling scene where he has to beg for forgiveness because he’s been SO WRONG. His actions/decisions aren’t about being mean; they stem from being clueless and/or deluded. Love that guy! That said, the character of Dwayne in the Jane Kelly Mystery series is not that Alpha-male at all, yet he’s my favorite guy/hero/anti-hero. He’s kind of a slow-talking, cowboy-esque P.I., a continuing character in the series, and he’s a fan favorite. Readers love Jane. But they LOVE Dwayne. And no, I never meant to give them names that rhyme. By the time I realized it, it was too late, so Jane has to live with it, though she thinks it’s just one more reason she shouldn’t fall for him.
- What is the most rewarding thing about being a writer?
I like being in another world, thinking about what those people are doing, plotting how they’ll deal with the issues that face them. Sometimes when I’m writing, hours go by, and suddenly it’s night, and I lift my head and think, wow, the real world’s moving by fast! Beyond that I like the flexible work schedule. Yes, during deadlines it’s horrendous, but in the off-times I get to be with my daughter and her family, who live in a different state. My only daughter is having her second baby this August, and I plan to be there for a month, helping out. I can plan for that, while my husband’s not able to take off as much time, though he might like to.
- Are there any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?
I was told, early on, to write what you love. I ignored that advice, and it did not serve me well. Eventually, I was able to put it all together, as I love mystery and suspense with my romance. The books where I have all three are definitely my best. So . . . write what you love!
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!
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