Romance at Heart Magazine Author Interview: Nita Wick

Interview with Nita Wick:

Hi Nita. 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.

"The Roscommon Faerie Tales" serial will begin on Tuesday, May 30, 2006. Season one is entitled How Faerie Dust is Made. It is one of the new Seron Serials at Inara Press. They work like a favorite t.v. series, only these are for book lovers. “Tune in” every Tuesday for the next installment. But don’t worry, if you miss one, it will be there for you – it’s even better than TiVo.

"The Roscommon Faerie Tales" is an historical fantasy set in early medieval Ireland.

How Faerie Dust is Made is the story of Aisling and Conall. Conall is the Lord of Kilronan and he despises faeries. But when he encounters Aisling in the forest, he finds that he just might make an exception for her. What he doesn’t know is that Aisling is only half faerie and her father was the Lord of Tir Thuithail, enemy of Kilronan. With two strikes against her, can Aisling win him over? And if you are curious as to how faerie dust is made, you’ll have to read the story.

- What can we expect from you in the future?

Season two of "The Roscommon Faerie Tales" currently scheduled to begin on August 29, 2006. I also have a completed historical novel that I plan to submit for publishing soon. It’s the story of Angelina and Darien. For her protection, they were married when she was still a child shortly before the imminent death of Angelina’s father. Angelina is all grown up now, but her husband has not been seen nor heard from in eight years. She has reached the end of her patience and has decided she wants A Real Husband.

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

The best place to find information about me and my books is my web site: www.nitawick.com

You will find all the info about my current release, future books, and my contests. There are dozens of links to my favorite romance sites and fellow authors. There are also links for The Roscommon Faerie Tales serial site for even more information about the series. My email address is listed on my contact page. You can find out about what’s going on in my everyday life by choosing the link to my blog. And last, but not least, you can join my Chat Board to share your comments about the series. But be careful! If you haven’t read the current installment, you may find spoilers. The Chat Board is where readers can discuss what has happened so far and speculate as to what will happen next week. I will even pop in from time to time to see what readers have to say.

- How may readers contact you?

I love to hear from readers! My email address is listed on my Contact Me page at www.nitawick.com

- Why did you decide to write romance novels?

I have always loved romance novels, especially historical romance. Happily-ever-after endings are a must for me. I started writing them after years of thinking, “Someone should write a book where the hero…” or “I wish someone would write a book about a heroine who…” You know what I mean. I had all these story ideas. And finally I realized that if you want something done, you might as well do it yourself. After reading a real ‘wallbanger’ book, I decided that even I could do better than that one. So when the next story idea happened along, I started writing it. And I found that I enjoy writing romances just as much as I enjoy reading them.

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

For me, humor is very important. The romance novels I enjoy the most are the ones that have me laughing, crying, and sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to read what happens. I especially love sarcastic banter between two characters. Victoria Alexander is one of my favorite authors simply because her books have so much humor.

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

I write what I like to read. And yes, I like the love scenes. I like them all, from the sweet little innocent kisses and touches to the super hot explicit scenes. I suppose the ones I like the best are the detailed scenes where the hero and heroine are falling in love or are already in love. That’s when it’s more than just hot sex. It’s more than just physical pleasure, it’s heaven. Those are my favorites and they are what you’ll find in my books.

- What kind of research do you do?

Oh, I love the research! I think that’s why I prefer to write historicals. For The Roscommon Faerie Tales there was lots of interesting research. I learned about the Druids and their beliefs as well as Ireland and its history. I’m still researching for that. In season two, one of the faeries practices witchcraft. So now I’m learning all about Druid witchcraft. Sometimes I have to force myself to quit researching so I can write the story.

For A Real Husband, I found myself researching the history of plumbing. See, the story is set in the mid 1700’s and I wanted my heroine to have a large marble bathtub with running water. So I had to find out if that was possible back then. Turns out, indoor plumbing, with the exception of the toilet which wasn’t invented until the late 1700’s, was extremely rare and only the very rich could afford it. Lucky for Angelina, her father was rich!

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

I am the happily married mother of two teenagers. My daughter is a reporter for the school newspaper and has been chosen to be editor next year. My son just finished writing a children’s book to teach kids the dangers of giving out too much personal information on the internet. So, as you can see, we are a whole family of writers. My husband, poor guy, doesn’t share our writing fetish. He knows without doubt that our children get that from me, but he is very supportive of all of us.

I work full time at a small credit union. So with my job and family, there is not a whole lot of time for hobbies. But if I’m not working as loan officer, cook, maid, or chauffer, you will find me reading or writing.

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

I am a card-carrying member of Romance Writers of America. I recently joined the Celtic Hearts Romance Writers online RWA chapter, and I have a wonderful critique partner I met at one of my many Yahoo readers groups.

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

I’ve only been seriously writing for a few years, so I am relatively new at this. But I am loving it!

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

For me, the characters come first. I meet the character and find out what makes them who they are. There are many things that influence a character’s personality, including where and when they live, what their financial status is, their family life, their past, etc. Once I’ve learned all about the characters, that’s when the story unfolds.

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

Most of the time, I find that the characters are the ones in control. I will have a scene all worked out when one of the characters comes along and throws a wrench into it by saying or doing something totally unexpected. That’s when I realize that I didn’t know this character as well as I thought I did. I usually have to change things because the story must be true to the characters.

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

That one is easy! Reading! I would be reading. I sometimes even have what I call “reading withdrawals” when I’m writing. I don’t have time to do both. So I only read when I’ve finished a project. I always take some time between projects just so I can read.

- Are there any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

I’m certainly no expert. I’m still new at this. But I have already learned two very important things. Write what you love. Be true to your own style. If you try to force it or change your voice just to meet “what’s hot” in the market, it will show in your work. If you love what you’re writing, that shows too. And that’s what makes it worth reading.

Thank you very much Nita 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!

Nita Wick Interview Review Coming Soon
Buy Nita's New Seron Serial at Inara Press