TRRC
is pleased to present Kensington Brava author, Susanna
Carr.
Her latest release is EX, WHY, AND ME.
Debora: Welcome to TRRC and please tell us a little
about yourself, and the influences that created the
writer Susanna Carr.
Susanna: It all started when romance author Anne
Mather ruined me. I blame
it all on her. Okay, I don't know her, and I'm sure
she's a nice woman and
had no intentions of ruining me, and it's not her
fault that I read The
Arrogant Duke when I was ten or eleven years old.
Before that moment, the only books available to me had
a "higher" purpose.
Usually, the women were secondary characters. If they
did anything remotely
interesting - or unladylike - they served as the moral
of the story and
wound up defeated or dead. The Arrogant Duke was
the first romance I read
and it was like a whole new world open up to me. The
woman was the main
character? Shocking! She made decisions that affected
the storyline?
Whoo-hoo! She didn't die in the end? Yay! I was
hooked.
Of course, I had to keep the interest to myself.
Romances were forbidden at
home and school, but I made the trek to my public
library as often as I
could and read the category romances they had on the
shelves. Those books
fostered my love for reading, and I started to excel
in writing at school. I
made up stories in my head, rewrote endings of books I
didn't like, and
dreamt of becoming a romance writer.
That dream took some time to accomplish because I kept
talking myself out of
it. I eventually put myself through college and
received an English degree -
which required reading more boring books where the
women suffered, had
little to do, or died - and I started submitting
stories.
I don't remember what I wanted to be when I grew up
before I read Anne
Mather, and I'm glad I read her when I did. By reading
romances, I knew that
I could be the main character in my own life and take
action to form my
future.
Debora: You're from a small-town in the Midwest. How
has this helped you
in your writing? Hindered you?
Susanna: I think being born and raised in a small town
influenced how I
write. You learn a lot about characterization from
gossip. If the young
married woman down the street ran off with the
butcher, you got to hear
everyone's theory. Why did she do it? Was she always
this way? What was
the turning point for her? By the end of the week
(gossip usually had a
shelf-life of six days) you put the pieces together
that fit and make your
own conclusion.
Living in a small town was a disadvantage while I was
pursuing publication.
At the time, if I wanted to dial-up to the Internet,
it meant calling
long-distance to the big city, so that was out of the
question. There were
no local writing groups as well. When I moved to the
Seattle area, things
started hopping for me. I was able to connect with
people and find about
more about writing romance and the publishing
industry.
Debora: You're a twin--do you enjoy twin romance
stories? It's a popular
theme in historicals and category romances that many
romance readers
eagerly seek out. Why do you think readers love twin
stories so much?
Susanna: I do like twin stories, although I think
there are only a few on
my keeper shelf. I think twin stories are popular
because it taps into the
fantasy of becoming someone else. There's something
compelling about the
idea of escaping one world and stepping into another.
Debora: You decided to be a romance author very early
on. Why? What is it
about the romance genre that excites you?
Susanna: Romances were extremely important to me when
growing up. They
were my way to escape as well as my blueprint to dream
big. I knew that I
wanted to write stories that gave women a chance to
escape and dream.
I think the romance genre is very exciting because I
know the storyteller
will be creative and imaginative, and might even take
me into a world I'm
not too sure about - but I will go along with it
because a happy ending is
guaranteed.
Debora: What's the best thing about writing romance?
The worst?
Susanna: The best thing about writing romance is
creating the characters.
I can create a heroine who develops the traits I can
only wish for. I can
create a sexy, protective hero based solely on what I
like in man. Can't
get any better than that!
Creating characters can also be the worst thing about
writing romance! The
people you create can do something unexpected and ruin
all your outlines and
future plot points. You can't always map out the story
and expect it to
happen exactly as you envisioned.
Debora: You have a wonderful sense of humor in your
books. Does it come
easy, or do you have to work at it?
Susanna: Thank you! I didn't recognize that humor was
one of my strengths
as a writer until I went to my local writing group. I
had to read the
first five pages of my manuscript out loud -a very
nerve-wracking
experience! The other women in the group noticed the
underlying humor and
suggested I draw it out more. This happened on more
than one occasion, so
I decided to give it a go. It took some time learning
how to do that, and
even now it's not easy emphasizing the humor and
maintaining the tone.
Debora: Is there something you liked to write, but
haven't, a "book of
your heart?"
Susanna: I have a lot of book ideas that I would love
to write. Right now
there are sweet category romances, chick-lit
mysteries, and even a light
paranormal series idea in my head. But I haven't and
probably won't pursue
these ideas because it means putting aside what I'm
doing now. I guess
that means that the stories I'm doing now are the
books of my heart.
Debora: What would be on your list of your favorite
top five romances?
Susanna: The Spaniard's Passion by Jane Porter
(Harlequin Presents,
December 2003). I couldn't get enough of the hero.
This book is the
standard for what I expect and need in a love story.
I'm not kidding!
That Carolina Summer by Janet Dailey. In this story, I
adored the
take-charge heroine who wants a fling on her own terms
with a man who
challenges her in every way.
The Midnight Hour by Jude O'Neill (Silhouette Special
Edition, June 1987).
This romance is like a Tracy and Hepburn film. It is
so funny and sweet and
emotional. Makes me laugh and sigh every time I read
it.
Secret Admirer by Susan Napier (Harlequin Presents,
May 1988). Once you've
read the first chapter, you will know why. And it just
keeps getting better.
Yowza!
Catspaw II by Anne Stuart (Harlequin Intrigue,
December 1988) A
sophisticated romantic mystery that crackles with
sexual tension.
Debora: Could you please describe your writing
process? Do you have any
advice to aspiring writers?
Susanna: My writing process is horrible. You wouldn't
believe how much
suffering and agony is involved in writing a sexy
romantic romp. I always
try to improve the process and make it more efficient,
but somehow I find
myself bumping against the deadline, tearing out my
hair, and wondering
why I do this to myself. Then about a week or two
after I submit the
manuscript, another idea pops in my head that I want
to pitch to the
editor and I'm right back into the process.
For aspiring writers, this is my advice: approach your
writing the way your
romance heroine would. Take action, learn from your
mistakes, and when the
black moment comes (and it will when you least expect
it), grit your teeth
and keep going. Don't give up. It takes courage to
chase your dream, and
even more when you catch it.
Debora: Do you enjoy booksignings? Do you have
any funny or horrifying
<g> booksigning stories?
Susanna: I don't do many booksignings because I'm shy.
Snarky, but shy. I
don't unleash my snarkiness on the unsuspecting, so I
have to be on my
best behavior at these events. That usually means
biting my tongue and
possibly causing injury to myself. I'm not really into
that.
Debora: What can we expect from you in the future?
Susanna: My next book will be released November 2006.
PINK ICE is a
novella collection about three sisters who buy a pair
of pink diamond
earrings that once belonged to their childhood idol.
These earrings bring
out the bombshell in every woman and make their
hottest fantasies come
true. The problem is, one sister gets the earrings for
a month before she
passes them on to the next sister. Sharing has never
been so difficult!
Debora: Is there anything you'd like to say to
your readers...and
potential first-time Susanna Carr readers?
Susanna: When I write a story, I think about the
reader. I imagine that
she wants to sit back and relax with a fun, sexy and
romantic read.
Nothing gives me greater pleasure than finding out my
book helped a reader
during a stressful time, improved a bad day, or even
made her laugh out
loud on the subway.
Debora: Thank you, Susanna, for spending time with us
here at The Romance
Reader's Connection. Readers, don't miss my review of
Susanna's latest,
EX, WHY, AND ME up this month at TRRC...for more info
on Susanna and
pictures of her twin, visit http://www.susannacarr.com.
(Click
here for a review of EX, WHY, AND ME)
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