Romance By Catherine: Make Welcome ~ Nancy Herkness

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Make Welcome ~ Nancy Herkness

Today I'm welcoming Nancy Herkness. Be sure and read the interview and then check out Nancy's giveaway at the bottom of the page.

Thank you for being here today, Nancy.



Welcome to my corner of the blogging world.

Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog, Catherine!  And many congratulations on the recent publication of NOT QUITE DATING!  It’s so exciting to see it hitting all the Amazon lists. Love the cover too.

Thank you. It’s been a very exciting week.
Can you tell us a little about you and the stories you write?

I studied English and creative writing in college where, believe it or not, my senior thesis was a volume of original poetry.  A native of West Virginia, I now live in New Jersey with my husband and a couple of mismatched dogs. 

My first two romances, A Bridge to Love and Shower of Stars, were published by Berkley Sensation.  I debuted in romantic suspense with Music of the Night.  My current release Take Me Home is the first in the Whisper Horse series published by Montlake Romance.

It sounds like you like to write different genres. I’m with you there. I’m asked all the time about my experience working with Amazon Montlake. How has it been for you?

Working with Montlake has been a terrific experience.  The folks there treat authors as respected partners.  I’m as happy as a pig in, well, mud.

“Mud” ~ Snicker… you obviously don’t know me really well. I’d have just said shit. But I get ya. And I agree.

So much is changing in the industry. What do you think about self publishing?

Self-publishing empowers writers to create work from their hearts.  If your book doesn’t fit into a publisher’s marketing plan, you still have a way to get the story into the hands of readers.  It’s also great for keeping your backlist available; when the rights reverted to me, I self-pubbed all three of my previously published novels.

Good for you. For writers that have been around a while, self publishing is a Godsend.
What do you love about being a writer?

No commute.  All right, on a serious note, there is nothing more exciting than conjuring people, places, and emotions out of my brain.  I can create whole worlds to live in with just a computer keyboard.  What could be cooler than that?

Nothing! And my commute is from my bedroom to my office. Once in a while a sig-alert of the cat skidding between my legs is a problem.
What do you hate about being a writer?

Creating whole worlds to live in; it’s exhausting!  Writing commercial fiction is a balancing act between art and business.  Right now I’m staring at a looming deadline I thought I would have no problem meeting, yet the book refuses to end.  My Muse and my M.B.A. (metaphorically speaking--I don’t really have an M.B.A.) are duking it out.

I’m sure you’ll get there. It is hard work. Some people don’t believe me when I say that.

Nearly all romance novels have shhh, sex, in them. How do you answer the never ending question, Why do you write THAT kind of book? Or even better… How do you do your RESEARCH?

Falling in love is one of the most intense experiences a person has in their life.  Writing—and reading!--romance novels allows me to feel that way over and over again.  Let’s face it, physical attraction is an important part of any romantic encounter, so the sexual aspect is crucial to the progress of the relationship. 

As for how I do my research, it’s the same way mystery and horror writers handle theirs: I use my vivid imagination.

What do you like better, Twitter or Facebook? Why?
 
Facebook.  I like the visuals, and I’m too long-winded to fit my, ahem, brilliant insights into 140 characters.

LOL. And the most important question ever... Do you roll your toilet paper over the roll or under the roll?

OVER!!!!!  I feel strongly about this.

YES! I’m a OVER girl too.  
Tell us about your latest release and were we can find it.

Writing TAKE ME HOME took me back to my roots.  I was born and raised in a small town in the mountains of West Virginia, and I spent my childhood summers with my pony Papoose.  You can see how those two facets of my early life molded the story of Claire and Tim in the book description below:

When Claire Parker left Sanctuary, West Virginia, she thought it was for good. But now she’s back, reeling from an ugly divorce. Readjusting to small-town life is harder than Claire expected, so she’s surprised, and grateful, to find companionship in Willow, an abused Thoroughbred mare. Willow is Claire’s “whisper horse,” and they share a special, rare bond. Except Willow isn’t the only one helping Claire heal; Willow’s ruggedly handsome veterinarian, Dr. Tim Arbuckle, is seductive…and secretive.

Devastated by his wife’s death, Tim thought he’d never find love again. The stoic, sexy doctor was sure he’d left his heart behind when he came to Sanctuary. But Claire stirs up emotions he thought he’d buried long ago. For the first time, the doctor can almost see past his grief…until Willow falls gravely ill. Tim and Claire must save Willow’s life and, surrounded by the beautiful mountains of West Virginia, find a love so encompassing, so intense, their lives will never be the same again.
TAKE ME HOME is available from Amazon (digital, print and audio), Barnes and Noble (print) and by order from any bookseller. 

To read an excerpt check out "Inside the Book" on Amazon.  

Barnes and Noble:http://bit.ly/U8GmiY


I run an on-going giveaway with changing prizes on my website www.NancyHerkness.com so please pay me a visit and enter. 

Fellow Montlake author Nancy Naigle and I blog together about our small town romances at Sister Towns: http://sistertowns.wordpress.com/.  I’m a mountaineer and she’s a Virginia gal so we have a lively time.

I would love to see you on Facebook too: https://www.facebook.com/nancyherkness.




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