Romance at Heart Magazine Author Interview: Rachel Carrington

Interview With Rachel Carrington:

Welcome to Romance at Heart’s grilling of the author, Rachel. I am glad that you could take the time for us, to answer our questions and give us some insight to you as an author and a person.

- Please tell us about your latest book.

I recently had With Love from Sam released by Wings ePress and it’s a paranormal romance. A tragedy is creating havoc within a couple’s marriage and only a ghost can reunite them.
Also, Feel the Heat is set to be released next week by Triskelion Publishing. It’s a vampire romance novella with just enough bite to make you want to keep reading, I hope.

- What can we expect from you in the future?

I’m currently working on the fourth installment in my Spell series which tells Braeden’s story in the land of the wizards. Those who read “Indigo Spell” will certainly remember Braeden and in fact, I’ve had requests to write his story.
I also have several other novellas underway, both vampire romances, and two full-length novels, one set in Scotland and the other set in 1930s Virginia.

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

Absolutely! The encouragement I receive from e-mails and my guest book at my website really give me a boost of energy and confidence. Also, I knew after “Indigo Spell” came out that there was no way I couldn’t write Braeden’s story. Too many people asked for it.

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

That would depend on word count and how much time I can devote to writing in a week. A 20,000 word novella takes less than a week if I write for three hours a day. I’ve written 50,000 word manuscripts in less than three weeks and a 90,000 word manuscript, like Indigo Spell, took me three months.

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

Unfortunately, no, I don’t have a set schedule. Real life interferes at times. I try to write once I get home from work in the evenings, at least for an hour or two, but then there’s always e-mails to answer, snail-mail to read, research, promotion, those sort of things. So I do go with the flow, but I usually manage to write at least two thousand words a day. That way, the clock doesn’t determine how much I write. If I get to two thousand and want to keep going, even better. If not, I feel good that I’ve reached my goal for the day.

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

I used to, but now, I’ve written so many of them, they just flow. Sometimes, I’ll have to stop and take a break and come back to the scene with a fresh eye because I don’t want to write a stale love scene. But most of the time, once I decide to write it, I get it done easily enough.

- What kind of research do you do?

I spend hours on the Internet doing research. I also talk to people in the field if I’m writing about a certain type of career. I have several books in the works right now and one of them required more input from someone who lived in the 1930s. So I spent half an hour or so with my friend’s grandfather and got enough information to allow me to finish the book. Other than that, Google is my best friend when it comes to writing.

- Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?

Without a doubt, Christine Feehan is my favorite author. She writes the paranormal romances that just leave you on the edge of your seat. Dark Fire would have to be my favorite book of hers and in fact, my favorite book of all time. I’ve re-read it so many times, the pages are dog-eared.

- What book for you has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?

Any of my novellas were the easiest to write simply because I knew the word count was so much shorter and I took the idea and ran with it. The hardest book I’ve ever written would have to be Indigo Spell. It was my first foray into the world of the wizards and I knew I was setting the stage for sequels. So I had to get the world right from the start. The most fun would be Feel the Heat as of now. I just got the idea and wrote it within a week. I looked forward to writing every day when I was working on that book.

- Any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

I know unpublished authors have been told “Don’t give up,” and it’s true. However, no one seems to tell aspiring authors how not to give up, especially after that umpteenth rejection. You have to get to a place where your belief in your talent is stronger than the naysayers. If you don’t reach that peak, it will come through in your writing. Be positive, be faithful to your writing and most of all, be aggressive. One rejection doesn’t make you a lousy writer any more than fifteen do. As I just read on one of my writing boards, keep the rejection letters to prove to the IRS that you are, indeed, a writer. But keep the spirit of a writer burning inside of you at all times. Always, always, always, think of yourself as a writer and eventually, the world will see it too.

Thank you very much Rachel, for taking this time from your busy schedule to spend with us here at Romance at Heart. I know we will all be waiting and watching to see what comes from your pen next.

Yours in good reading,
Rose!

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