Beverly and Tamara: Patti and Nancy welcome to SSLY. Thanks so much for joining us today. With two of you we’ll have twice the fun! So first why don’t you tell us a little about yourself.
Nancy F: I’m a grandma to 4 ½ beautiful grandchildren. I’ve been actively writing romance since 1993 and have published 13 books/novellas. My professional goal in the next 12 months is to retire from my day job and write full time.
Patti: Thanks so much for having us ladies. I’m a wife, mother and soon to be first time grandmother of a baby boy come August. I’ve been pursuing a romance writing career since 1985 and have published (and soon to be published) 21 novels/novellas. I started writing doing magazine length fiction and nonfiction pieces.
Tamara: What do you HAVE to have when you are writing?
Nancy F: Coffee and a scratch pad and pen or pencil for notes I’ll want to remember later. And more coffee.
Patti: When I’m writing, I have to have a sleeve of Ritz crackers and a two liter of Pepsi sitting next to me. They are my mainstays in order to produce pages (G). (I was out of Pepsi when I typed this but the sleeve of Ritz are right here!)
Beverly: When did you start to write?
Nancy F: In 1992 on a dare. I made the mistake of saying to a friend that anyone could write a romance novel and she dared me to try. After I finished the first six chapters, I was hooked. Not published, just hooked.
Patti: I actually started writing in kindergarten. Our teacher would have us create a mini book every Monday of what we did on the weekend. Because I was raised by my great grandparents and my great grandpa worked for General Motors and traveled all the time, I usually stayed with other family members while they were away. I would tell my adventures every Monday at Show n Tell.
Tamara: What do you think are the qualities that make up a “hero”?
Nancy F: Kindness, intelligence, charisma and sexy as hell.
Patti: A hero is always devastatingly good looking, tall, dark, handsome. He is fantastic with kids and kind to animals. And of course, looking for that perfect woman even when he doesn’t know it yet.
Beverly: Can you describe your favorite character? And which of your books is he/she in? How do you come up with your characters?
Nancy F: The character of Eleanor, a 1950s private secretary who reminds me a lot of myself (except I didn’t get the boss-hero). She’s the heroine in my next novella “April Love” as part of my Decade of Rock and Roll vintage historical series. I try to base the majority of my characters on people I’ve met (not necessarily friends but acquaintances) with interesting stories to tell.
Patti: Lord Kyle McLay of The Laird’s Lady. He was a Scottish laird and a ghost. In my eyes, he could do no wrong. He couldn’t escape the confines of the castle in order to pass on without finding someone to help him (our heroine, of course). I create my characters from people I would want to read about, and even fantasize about.
Tamara: What are the hardest scenes for you to write? Suspense? Sex? Dialogue? And why?
Nancy F: The “black moment” … just because I really don’t like them. I don’t believe every romance has to have one, but they’re required so we go with the flow.
Patti: Suspense would be my hardest. I’m not a mystery writer, I get frightened by scary movies and hide behind the nearest afghan.
Beverly: What writer, if any, influenced how you write?
Nancy F: Ann Maxwell (aka Elizabeth Lowell). She writes the best love scenes and was a pioneer in moving from category to mainstream and back to category and never losing her edge.
Patti: Jude Deveraux. She is my dream author and I have read every book she’s written. She can create characters the leap off the page. She makes you root for them, cry for them, cheer them on, but never hate them.
Tamara: Who would you choose as your “book boyfriend”? From what book? Author?
Nancy F: Damien Sutter, from the category romance, Chain Lightning, by Elizabeth Lowell. He was the first hero I truly fell in love with.
Patti: My dream boyfriend would be Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck in Knight in Shining Armor, by Jude Deveraux. He was a man’s man, a lady’s man, and a hot-blooded hero.
Beverly: What is the kinkiest thing you’ve ever done? Or would like to? What? We are all about the love!
Nancy F: I once sent my ex husband’s new girlfriend a picture of his “equipment” side-by-side with a picture of my new fellow’s assets with a note that said, “na-na, na, na, na, na!”
Patti: I think I’m pretty boring in this respect. I haven’t done anything kinky. Well shoot!!!
Beverly: OMG!
Tamara: What are your favorite types of heroines? Do you like the damsel in distress who needs saving or the kick-ass variety? Why?
Nancy F: I like a heroine with gumption (like Felicity in our May 6th release, Gambling On Love). She’s young, spirited and hasn’t a clue her plan to free her father’s slaves won’t work. She just goes for it with gusto!
Patti: I love to read about a heroine who can take care of herself. She doesn’t need a man to save the day, though it doesn’t hurt at times. As Nancy said, Felicity is a great example of someone with the plan and the drive, then realizes she’s hit a brick wall with no way around it. But it doesn’t stop her in the least.
Beverly: What was your worst date ever?
Nancy F: Probably my very first when I was sixteen. Didn’t have a clue what I was doing and actually left the movie theatre and went home on my own b/c I was embarrassed by the movie my date had taken me to see.
Patti: This is an easy answer. With my hubby before we were even technically dating. We went to a drive-on movie, to some action packed movie (can’t even what it was or who was in it) and he fell asleep. I ended up watching the movie by myself. Now, it’s 32 yrs later and we’re still together and he still falls asleep at movies!
Tamara: If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want to have with you? (you have food, water, shelter, all the necessities, so nothing mundane)
Nancy F: An e-reader, WiFi and a sexy man who digs older ladies.
Patti: my mp3 player, my Nook and an unlimited gift card to Amazon. Don’t need the man, need the rest! (G)
Beverly: What is your “guilty pleasure”?
Nancy F: Mocha Moolate drinks from Dairy Queen (2 in one day)
Patti: Coke floats with chocolate ice cream.
Tamara: What dream or goal have you yet to realize?
Nancy F: Hitting the NYT and USA Today bestseller lists
Patti: The New York Times bestsellers list. I’m aiming high.
Beverly: What was your most embarrassing moment?
Nancy F: I was giving a tour of the children’s hospital where I worked for the mayor of the city and a very rich patron. Half way down the hall of the NICU, my slip fell down around my ankles and pooled at my feet. To his credit, the mayor saw what had happened but never said a word.
Patti: When I was at RWA a few years ago, hosting a reception for the Booksellers Best Award. I had a pitch appt the following day and wanted to see what the editor looked like. So I kiddingly asked another editor “Got any dirt on XXX” and she pointed to her right and said “You mean XXX?” I could have crawled under the table at that point. The next day during my pitch appt, the editor was so gracious about it and we laughed. She didn’t buy my book, but I still see her and talk to her each year.
Tamara: If you were a color what would you be and why?
Nancy F: Red. It’s an alive, vibrant color. You get to a certain age when “live” is more than it’s cracked up to be.
Patti: Lavender. A nice, cool, peaceful color. I’m a Libra, so I’m always running around like the chicken with its head cut off, micro-managing everything.
Beverly: Who has influenced how you perceive love? Why?
Nancy F: On the good side, my beautiful granddaughters. As cliché as it sounds, I would die for them, no question. When they come up to me, give me a hug and tell me they love me, it brings tears to my eyes. On the flip side, my ex-husband. I love him to this day, because he is the father of my two sons. What he taught me is that there’s a natural end to things and you shouldn’t try to hang on past the expiration date.
Patti: My husband. I went thru colon cancer in 2006 – 2007 and he was there every step of the way for me. Holding my hand, wiping my tears, being my rock and my knight in shining armor. There are big gaps in my memory but he knows everything that happened every day, every minute. And he never once complained about any of the extra work around the house either. A true hero.
Tamara and Beverly: Okay. We are SSLY so I have to ask. Who loves you?
Nancy F: My children, grandchildren, and quite possibly even my daughters-in-law.
Patti: My family.
Now for some quick fun questions:
Boxers or briefs?
Nancy F: On me, boxers, on my man, absolutely nothing
Patti: Boxers
Coffee or Tea?
Nancy F: Coffee??? Did someone say coffee????
Patti: Tea, preferably iced tea.
Tall, dark and handsome or Blond and buff?
Nancy F: One of each please.
Patti: Tall, dark and handsome
Hairy chest or smooth?
Nancy F: Mostly smooth with just enough teaser hairs to comb my fingers through. No gorillas wanted.
Patti: I’m not fussy
Chocolate or Vanilla?
Nancy F: I’m open to all flavors
Patti: A swirl of both
Kinky or Sweet?
Nancy F: A mix of both if possible, otherwise … oh what the hell, kinky!
Patti: Sweet for me.
Fast or slow?
Nancy F: Fast cars, slow, sensual sex
Patti: Fast boats, slow songs
Public or private?
Nancy F: Private please
Patti: Private
Top or bottom?
Nancy F: Top, of course. Control is everything.
Patti: Depends on the situation (G)
Tamara and Beverly: Thank you ladies! It’s been wonderful having you!
Gambling on Love
Blurb:
Gambling on Love is the story of Felicity Beaumont, a rich man’s willful daughter with a heart of gold who wants more than anything to free her father’s illegally indentured workers. When she devises a plan to move them north with the help of Jake McCade, owner of the gambling boat know as the River Maiden, she finds she’s run afoul of not only her father, but of the man she’s dumped into helping her. While Jake and Felicity find themselves in agreement about helping the slaves, they are at odds over everything else, including their quickly escalating feelings for one another.
Author Bios:
Patti Shenberger recently signed a contract for her twenty-first romance novel/novella sale. She is published in short contemporary, historical time travel, paranormal and erotic romance, as well as multi-published in fiction and non-fiction magazine length work. She’s a wife, mother of two, mother-in-law of two, soon to be grandmother of one (in August) and a pet mommy of two. Patti is a lifelong resident of Michigan, where she complains about the heat in the summer and the snow in the winter. When she’s not writing, Patti can be found with her nose buried in a book.
Nancy Fraser has been writing since she was a child, most often on walls and with crayons or (heaven forbid) permanent marker. Since first becoming published in 1996, Nancy has received numerous five star reviews for her futuristic, time travel romance. She’s also published in short contemporary, historical romance and is contracted for a series of ten vintage historical romances set during the Golden Decade of Rock & Roll (1955-1964). When not writing fiction, Nancy likes to spend time with her grandchildren and is excitedly awaiting a new addition to her grand-family in July.
Contact Links:
http://www.pattishenberger.com @PattiShenberger for Twitter http://www.facebook.com/AuthorPattiShenberger
http://www.nancyfraser.com.ca @nfraserauthor for Twitter http://www.facebook.com/NancyFraserAuthor
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