What
made you decide to be an author? I
always wanted to be an author. When I was a little girl, I would go to the
library and look at the shelf to see where my books would go once I was a
published author. It took me longer to get here than I imagined it would! I
worked in the business world, then went to grad school and got my MLS and
worked in a school library. I finally got back to writing about ten years ago
and never looked back!
What
do you like best about being a writer? What do you like the least? I’ve
always been an introvert and a little shy. I’m not one to blow my own horn, so
the marketing and promotion piece of being a published author runs contrary to
my nature. But everything else I LOVE! I write contemporary romance with heart
and humor, so the absolute best part for me is thinking that my books will
bring a little lightness to someone who might be going through a hard time. To
make someone laugh at the end of a truly lousy day. Reading books has brought
so much joy to my life that I’m thrilled to be able to do the same for my
readers.
How
do you think your life experiences have prepared you for writing? In
some ways, I’m writing better books now than I could have if I’d started
writing right out of college. Just living life, experiencing the highs and the
lows has put me in a better position to convey my characters emotions as they
move through life.
Have
you ever felt as if you were being dictated to while you wrote a book--as if
the words came of their own accord? If yes, which book did that happen with?When
things are really flowing for me, I’ve felt this way at some point with every
book I’ve written.
You’ve
written 4 novels and are working on a 5 and 6th. What’s your favorite time
management tip? Time
management is something that becomes harder once you become published, and are
working on someone else’s deadlines! It can be difficult to balance all the
balls you have in the air at the same time. I’m afraid I don’t really have a
good tip. I put a lot of pressure on myself to try to get everything done and
done in advance of deadlines, if at all possible and it can be crushing! So, I don’t
really recommend it as a good method for anyone else lol!
Are
you a plotter or a pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or
are you an “organic” writer? I
do a combination of the two. I read somewhere that Jim Butcher, author of the
Dresden Files series (which I love, btw!) draws an actual arc to represent the
story arc. He writes the beginning on one side and the end on the other, with
the high point in the center of the arc. He then goes on to plot out every
point between the two. I modified his method for myself. I draw an arc with the
three points laid out beginning, high point, end and then everything that happens
in between is more pantsing.
If
you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be? Rejection
is inevitable in this field, and you cannot take it personally. I read once (I don’t
remember where) that rejection is not personal, and doesn’t mean your work isn’t
good. It just means that it is not what the person you’re querying is looking
for at the moment. It’s hard not to take it to heart, when your product is as
personal to you as a book, but it can be crippling if you do. I let myself feel
bad for a few minutes, and then I move on and send it to someone else.
Did
music help you find your muse with this book? If yes, which song did you find
yourself going back to over and over again as you wrote? Music
has helped me in the past, but not really with Love is Lovelier. The title does
come from the old song lyric Love is Lovelier, the second time around, but I didn’t
listen to the song while I wrote. I cannot write in complete silence though, so
I do always have on music, or the television on low volume, while I work.
Tell
me more about Love is Lovelier.
Heather
and Mick have a long history together, and Heather wants to leave it in the
past where it belongs. Yet, here Mick is, very much in her present, thanks to
her brother Jeff, who hired Mick to be her boss at the Retreat at Rivers Bend.
It
wouldn’t be so bad, except Heather and Mick are still attracted to each other
like metal to a magnet. Oh, and her brother is considering offering Mick a
partnership in the Retreat, which by rights should be hers. And even if they
act on their attraction, Heather is a small-town, country girl, and proud of
it, whereas Mick can’t get far enough from his West Virginia coal-mining roots.
Will
they be able to get a second chance at their first love and find their happy ending
together in Rivers Bend?
How
about an excerpt from Love is Lovelier?
“Stick
close. I’ll get you out of here.”
He
used his broad shoulders as a wedge to propel himself though the crowd; Heather
scurried to keep up with him so she could take advantage of the gap he created,
not wanting to be so close that she could feel the warmth of his body through
his elegant suit, but because she needed somehow to beat this crush of people
to the Retreat to make sure that everything was in place for the
post-christening party she’d planned for Bethanne only perfection would do for
her BFF.
She
watched Mick’s back as she stuck close to him; he looked so strong and fit it
was hard to imagine him the way he was ten years ago, when he’d suffered his
NFL career-ending injury, but the same business acumen that kept him with the
Portland Pintos organization back then was the reason Jeff and Cisco hired him
at the Retreat.
He’d
be good for business she’d just have to keep chanting those words in her head
like a mantra, or else she’d do one of two things she’d regret--kill Mick, or
kiss him, and she’d gone the kissing route with him before. It did not end
well. And tempting as the killing option was at the moment, it probably wouldn’t
end any better.
Buy
Links:
Barnes
& Noble:
The
Wild Rose Press:
Donna Simonetta writes the kind of books she loves to read––contemporary
romances filled with heart, heat, and humor, like the books of her
favorite romance writers, Susan Mallery and Jill Shalvis.
A Sweeter
Spot is the first book in the Rivers Bend trilogy, which is set in a
fictional small town, populated by quirky characters. But if you prefer a
big city setting and a little fantasy mixed in with your romance, try
Angels Fly. A heartwarming story, set in beautiful San Diego, about
getting a second-chance with your first love, with a little help from
some unlikely guardian angels.
Writing is Donna’s third career. She
has worked in the business world, which she decided wasn’t for her. So
she went back to school to get her MLS degree, and worked in a school
library, before deciding to pursue writing on a full-time basis. Donna
lives in Maryland with her husband, who is her real-life romance hero.
They enjoy traveling to visit far-flung family and friends, and spending
time on the beach with an umbrella drink and a good book.
Where
can readers find more about your stories, books and you on the Internet?
Donna,
thank you so much for being with us here today. I know my readers will enjoy
your work and your interview.
Her Homerun Hottie by Wynter Daniels
