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Erin McCarthy is a stay-at-home mom who has the pages smoking in each tale she pens. Recently, I have had the chance to ask her a few questions that have been on my mind. Check out what this fast moving author has to say.
Thia: I have read that you wanted to be a writer since you were six years old. Can you share the story of how you came to be published with us?
Erin: One night I was bored, playing online and decided to check Lori Foster’s website for her upcoming releases. I’d been writing seriously for a year and a half, and had several projects out to publishers. I saw the contest Brava and Lori were running and thought I would give it a try. I wrote the entry (750 words) over the next day or so and sent it to Lori before I could change my mind. She was hugely encouraging and asked if I ever finished the novella if she could read it. Of course, that was a challenge to me. I was going to finish that novella, because bestselling author Lori Foster said the beginning was fantastic! Three weeks later, I sent it to her, and she emailed it immediately to her editor at Kensington, Kate Duffy, who read it that afternoon and called me to buy it. That was the novella “Hard Drive” from Bad Boys Online.
Thia: What was your first reaction to being accepted by a publisher as well known as Brava?
Erin: Well, it was so unexpected because I hadn’t been targeting Brava. I didn’t think my writing was hot enough, and had never considered them. So mainly I was stunned and very thrilled that someone finally thought I was a writer worthy of publication. When I spoke to Kate Duffy the day of my first sale, she was so enthusiastic, and assured me that she saw big things for me. I can’t express how much that meant to me.
Thia: You have written a lot of wonderful books since the debut “Bad Boys Online” in September 2003. What is your average writing time from start to finish?
Erin: It differs from book to book. I’ve written some in six weeks, some in five months. I’d say on average it is three months from start to finish.
Thia: You write about such realistic characters. Where do you draw inspiration from?
Erin: Thank you! I take that as a huge compliment, because I’m a very character driven writer and I want to create people who could be living next door to you. None of my characters are based on people I actually know, except for the cat in Mouth To Mouth, who is my own cranky cat. But aside from the cat, I think inspiration for my characters comes from everywhere. People watching. When I was in high school, I wanted to be a therapist until I realized people wanted to tell me their problems, but never wanted to listen to my advice. With writing, I can make my characters follow my advice. <g>
Thia: What aspect do you find the hardest in writing?
Erin: In my career, the hardest thing is handling the business end of writing- the promo, the paperwork, the emails. That is way more time consuming than I ever realized. In writing the stories, the hardest part is the last line. I never know quite when to let it end, and nothing ever seems brilliant enough.
Thia: What is the best part of being a writer?
Erin: I love writing my stories. That’s the best part when I’m at home on a regular day- just sitting at the keyboard making people up. When I’m at signings and conferences, the best part is all the wonderful women I get to meet who have such an enthusiasm for reading and for a happy ending. Romance readers are some of the most amazing, generous people I’ve ever met.
Thia: Your stories are many things, such as humorous, romantic and quite erotic. What category do you put your writing style in? What genre could you see yourself branching out to in the future?
Erin: I don’t really put my writing into any category. The books are a blend of a lot of things, like you mentioned, which is how I see life. Life can be funny, sad, and scary all in one day. Falling in love is like that, too, and people experience a wide range of emotions all the time. I want to show that in my books. Right now I am happy writing romance, and can slip other genres into my romances by adding elements of mystery or the paranormal if I want to. I don’t plan to branch out of romance any time soon, but a lot of romance writers grow into women’s fiction as their lives change, so I don’t rule anything out for the future.
Thia: Is there a particular genre which you prefer to read? Not to read?
Erin: I read a lot of mysteries for fun and non-fiction books for research. I also read a lot of historical romance, but rarely read contemporary romance because I find it distracting when I’m writing. The only thing I don’t like to read at all is biographies.
Thia: What was the last book you read for fun?
Erin: I read Going Coastal by Wendy French, a chick lit novel. I met Wendy on a Wal Mart bus tour a few weeks ago, and we were all given copies of each other’s books. When you spend three days on a bus with someone, you bond, so I’ve been reading everyone’s books to see if I can hear their voice in their stories. Going Coastal was very funny, with a unique setting- a small town on the Oregon coast.
Thia: Who inspires you and supports you in your writing?
Erin: My husband, first and foremost. Even when there was no sign of a paycheck in sight, he has supported me. My writer friends are a huge support, like Lori Foster, Dianne Castell, and Lucy Monroe. My local RWA chapter, North East Ohio RWA has been hugely supportive of me, and they are always there to help me unstick a plot point. Plus, I’ve got amazing editors who give me freedom when I need it and advice when I’m floundering.
Thia: Is it difficult to be both a dedicated mom and a writer? How do you manage?
Erin: I think it’s always challenging to be the best mother I can be. That is the most important priority in my life. But I don’t find it difficult to juggle writing with motherhood. In many ways, this is a very flexible career. I’m at home when my kids get on the bus in the morning, and home when they got off the bus in the afternoon. I can go on field trips and attend classroom parties and if they get sick at school, I can be there in ten minutes to pick them up. I have to be disciplined when they’re at school and work most of the day, because when they get home it’s time to monitor homework, fix dinner, and drive them to various activities. I do travel a bit, but overall, this is a wonderful career to have and still feel like I’m giving one hundred percent to my kids.
Thia: You have written 10 books to date, right? How many more do you have in the works?
Erin: By October 2005, I’ll have had 5 single titles and 8 novellas on the shelves. I am contracted for 5 more single titles and 1 more novella between my two publishers.
Thia: Are there any particular characters that you favored most?
Erin: Reese (Smart Mouth) is a favorite heroine of mine because she says everything I wish I could say if I wasn’t a mother and a tactful person. J I also enjoyed writing CJ (Bad Boys In Black Tie) because she’s such an atypical heroine with her oversized clothes and permanent ponytail. For heroes, I have a soft spot for Houston (Houston, We Have a Problem) and Damien (The Pregnancy Test) because they’re both “wounded” heroes, with the past interfering with their present. My January 2006 book, Heiress For Hire, has probably the nicest hero I’ve ever written. My heroine in A Date With the Other Side, Shelby, has an ex-husband named Danny. He was just so darn nice, I had to give him his own book and an heiress to love.
Thia: Do you prefer novellas/anthologies or full length?
Erin: I don’t prefer one over the other. I really enjoy writing both. I like to write novellas between full books because they’re a nice break. It’s satisfying to finish one in a few weeks. It makes me feel like I’ve really accomplished something quickly and easily. But full length books allow me to get deeper into the character and layer them in a way I can’t with novellas.
Thia: What do you have in store for us next?
Erin: In January 2006 Heiress For Hire will be out, the sequel to A Date With the Other Side. In April 2006 I’m in an anthology with Lori Foster and Helen Kay Dimon titled When Good Things Happen To Bad Boys, which is a thrill. I love being in the Bad Boys anthologies! Then in the summer of 2006 I launch a humorous vampire trilogy from Berkley set in Las Vegas. When you get staked in Vegas, it stays in Vegas.
Be sure to read the review of Erin’s latest - THE
PREGNANCY TEST.
(Click
here for a review of THE PREGNANCY TEST
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