This week I’m hosting Louise Gouge with Love Thine Enemy, Sandra Glahn with Informed Consent and Raynene Burgess with Hopeful Chances. If you want to enter the drawing for the book, please leave a comment on one of the post during the week with your email address. I will not enter you without an email address (my way to contact you if you win). If you don’t want to leave an email address, another way you can enter is to email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawings end Sunday (July 19th) evening.
Raynene Burgess’s interview:
1.What made you start writing?
In 1988, I wrote a short devotional for my church’s Christmas booklet and was encouraged by my husband to continue writing. Plus, ever since my junior high days, I’ve journalled thoughts and stuff. I’ve always enjoyed writing down things.
2.How long have you been writing? When did you sell your first book?
I’ve been writing since 1988; finished my first annual Christian devotional, “Good Morning, Father!” in 1995, published that in 2000. My first contemporary romance, “Hopeful Chances” was published in 2006.
3.How do you handle rejections?
By finally, after years of taking them personally, realizing that it’s not personal! It’s a sign that I’m serious about getting published and working on my writing. Rejection letters are trophies for me.
4.Why do you write?
I write romance stories because I want my characters to have happy endings. I write non-fiction because I’m driven to use my faith in Jesus to teach others about Him. Writing is an outlet for emotions for me. My journal is full of them.
5.What would you be doing with your free time if you weren’t writing?
Probably being an admin assist somewhere. A goal of mine is to go into a program to get my MS in Legal Studies to find work for an attorney, since law and legal matters fascinate me.
6.What are you working on right now?
I’m working on a romantic suspense that involves the murder of a gay guy’s partner. The remaining partner’s sister is attracted to the detective working the case and has to keep her brother out of jail.
7.Do you put yourself into your books/characters?
Oh, yeah. I based the heroine in “Merry’s Go Round” on myself. It was sort of a cleansing thing going on there. I think most authors at some point will base characters on themselves to some aspect.
8.Tell us about the book you have out right now.
“Hopeful Chances” is about thefts of thoroughbreds. Jaralyn Collins’ stallion has been threatened and she has to call her former fiancé, Andrew Kerrigan for help. A jealous former rival, Brenda is causing the trouble for them and they have to follow her trail to stop her by using Jari’s stallion as bait.
9.Do you have any advice for other writers?
Keep writing, don’t be afraid to write badly. That’s part of the learning process. Be true to yourself in your writing and don’t just follow the market to make a buck.
10.How important is faith in your books?
Very. Although, I didn’t write “Hopeful” as an inspirational, it has a clean feel to it. I think I was just trying to see if I could actually finish the story and get it published. My current completed work, “Merry’s Go Round” is definitely Christian and I’m really proud of it.
11.What themes do you like to write about?
Romantic suspense with FBI themes in the story. I’d also like to try my hand at edgier inspirational.
12.What is your favorite book you’ve written and why?
It would have to be “Hopeful Chances” because it was my first that resulted from my high school years of having that imaginary friend with me to talk to.
13.What is your writing schedule like?
I’m a morning person, so I usually journal to get my thoughts cleared, then spend some time reviewing what I previously wrote down. I don’t do much editing, since I’m a pantser (like to write by the seat of my pants) and just want to get the story on paper. I’m usually working on at least two or three ideas that turn into stories. Currently, I’m editing “Merry’s Go Round” and working on a new romantic suspense.
