Personal Q & A
Where were you born? I’m a transplanted southerner who gets homesick for grits for breakfast. I’ve lived in Western NY now for many years and do not think I could survive the hot summers down south any more. Okay I spend a few weeks south in the winter. Who’s counting?
What is the funniest thing that ever happened to you or you witnessed that made you laugh so hard you couldn’t catch your breath? I had a grandmother who liked to stir up trouble between my parents. One night when we all came home together, she walked out into the yard and fell into…I’m sorry. I’ll use this one in a series of short stories I’m contemplating. But I can assure you that it was very funny and she didn’t get hurt. But she was very, very annoyed. I and my siblings called it God’s justice.
Ohhh you tease...What hidden talent do you possess outside of writing? I already mentioned that I do plants. I also paint flowers in acrylics and I do floral arrangements for special occasions. Not very exciting, but I enjoy it.
Favorite color: Green. You aren’t surprised, are you?
What am I passionate about, other than writing? My family, especially my wonderful grandchildren. My husband, my church and my community.
Name some of your most favorite things. You mean other than chocolate? Well, Musa editors/publishers are a great bunch of folks. The authors I’ve met and gotten to know. Great supporters. Regency Romances, a whole bunch of other authors who keep my mind happy, summer, plants, birds, nature in general, My friends.
What’s your favorite Bible verse? I think like most authors my mind races and is always clogged with characters that are jabbering in my head trying to tell me how to write the next story. Sometimes it gets very crowded in there and I fear burn-out. Then I remind myself of a favorite message.
“Be still and know that I am God.” It calms me right down and quiets all the clamor. Listening to God is as important as praying to Him.
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QUESTIONS ABOUT WRITING
What or who inspires you to write? Dunno. If pressed I will venture to say that creating is a God-given talent no matter in which medium you operate. The urge to write is always with me and always has been. But I love to create a garden and I love to paint pretty scenes.
Why did you begin writing? I finally had the time to express myself without interruption. In retrospect, I think I should have found the time sooner.
What was your favorite book growing up? Pride and Prejudice-Jane Austen maybe, but there are so very many. I grew up in a houseful of books with parents and siblings who read. It is only a rumor that I propped books in front of my children when they were still in their highchairs.
What do you find most rewarding about writing? You get rid of some of those noisy characters that clamor to be heard. I feel small that it pleases me that I surprised my husband. Okay, I don’t feel very small, but I think I should.
Have you experienced writer’s block? Sure, but I think it has to do with fatigue. I pick up the dictionary and start reading words. Shortly sentences come to me and I’m back at work.
When is your next book due out and what’s it about? It’s a Regency novella called BELOVED SOLDIER RETURNS. My mind was on all the families who are expecting their loved ones home very soon. There are gypsies who play a role in the story as well as a revisit of the Vicar’s Daughters 3, an ‘afterwards’ peek into their lives as young married women with families. It’s due out in late summer of this year (’12)
ABOUT YOUR LATEST BOOK:
How did you come up with your premise for ‘The Vicar’s Daughters 3? Well, I have two sisters so I guess I thought in that vein. They would leave home one at a time to find their way in the world as adults. From there I thought of how much they were alike and how they were different. Dreaming up their hunky husbands was just sheer fun and imagination.
DARK DOMINO, a short story, jumped into my imagination complete with beginning, middle and ending. All I had to do was fill in the spaces. I loved the two characters, Sarah Louise and Ethan.
Are there any fun tid-bits about this story you can share with us? Sure. These 3 Regency stories were my very first and Celina and Kathy Teel from MUSA pulled them together and worked valiantly to instill the concept of POV in me. Then there was the matter of a whole chapter written on the night before publication. I hope I have learned a little something more by now. I saw that Kathy T was listed as a co-author of A PASSIONATE LOVE on Smash words.
Learn more about Emma Lane at http://janislane.blogspot.com/
