Interview

Hi Christine and welcome. I am so glad you could join us here at RomanceJunkies. To start, will you please tell us a little bit about your current projects?

Thank you for having me. It's very exciting to be here.

I have quite a few projects on the go these days. I have an Ellora's Cave
Quickie called CHASING PHOENIX releasing December 14th. Abbey leads a double life. By day she is an accountant. By night she is erotic story teller, Lady Phoenix. Michael is determined to discover the identity of Lady Phoenix, convinced she works at his accounting firm. Sparks fly when Abby blind folds and ties Michael to a chair during a performance.

I've also sold a novella for Ellora's Cave's JEWEL OF THE NILE series. THE
WIZARD'S THIEF will be releasing in February and tells the story of Callie,
a thief who is sent to steal a precious stone from a powerful group of wizards. She is caught by Raine, a wizard who has lost is ability to cast
magic. The two are thrown together, tied by a connection they don't
understand. They must forget their differences and work together to prevent
an attack against their world.

Book two in my BOND series, entitled THE BOND THAT HEALS US will also be coming from Ellora's Cave in 2008.

When do you feel most creative? In the morning? Perhaps the evening?   Do you ever get up in the middle of night because you just "have to write"?

I'm very much a morning writer. I've been known to wake up at 4am, get out of bed and write until I have to go to work at my day job. I find myself
needing to write, get the stories that are bouncing around in my head out.
It's getting pretty crowded in there these days.

Do you write to music or other background noise, or must you have absolute silence? Have a favorite beverage or snack by your side?

I usually create a soundtrack for the book I'm currently working on. I don't
always listen to it, but I find this helps me get into the groove of the
story, especially if I am blocked on a particular spot. Typically though, I
like to write in silence. It lets me hear the characters’ voices in my
head, so I can make sure they "sound" right.

As far as beverages and snacks? I'm a coffee lady (though don't tell my
doctor!) and love to have a nice hot cup sitting close by when I'm typing
away. And chocolate...I definitely need my chocolate.

What do you like most about being an author? What do you like least?

Oh that's easy. The best thing is being able to create people and places and
do what I want with them. It's one of the reasons I enjoy writing futuristic
and paranormal stories so much. I can right wrongs, punish the guilty and
reward the good in my worlds. I'm very much a story teller in person as
well. I can talk your ear off on just about any topic-family, movies, books,
TV.

The hardest thing about being an author is my current need to keep my day
job. I would much rather be home writing full time, than have to juggle the
two jobs. It's a challenge to need to switch from my writing mindset to my
corporate mindset with little to no down time. Hopefully, I'll be able to
write full time some day.

With a deadline looming, are you normally ahead of schedule, on schedule, or convincing yourself that you work "better under major-stress"?

I'm always ahead of schedule. I'm what you call a speed writer, and have
been known to crank out 70,000 plus word novels in a six week period. My
friends think I'm insane, but that's the pace that I seem to work at. As a
result, I'm usually ahead of the curve when it comes to deadlines.

What is the dreaded day job that keeps you from writing 7/24? Besides the steady paycheck, what is the best thing about it?

I work for a large tech company as a manager of a training department. I
have to say I do love the company I work for. I like to constantly challenge
myself, pushing to see how far I can go and what I can accomplish. This job
allows me to do that. I also love working on the training side of things.
Being a people person, it gives me that connection to others, which in turn
fuels my creativity and ideas for stories.

What grows in Christine's Garden? What is the one thing that never grows for her?

I just moved recently, so my garden is much smaller these days. I have
several beautiful Hosta that always seem to do very well for me. They are
one of my favorite plants. Something that never grows? I can never seem to
get my indoor plants to do well, and trust me I've tried. My green thumb
seems to be limited to fresh air plants.

What is the one TV show that you'll schedule you evening by? Which one no longer on the air is one you really wish they'd bring back?

Anyone who knows me knows that I have several shows that I'm very dedicated to. Monday nights I have to watch Heroes. Tuesdays is for House and NCIS. Wednesdays I make time for Criminal Minds and Thursdays for CSI. I also love Stargate: Atlantis, but I have to wait for the next season to hit the Canadian airwaves.

I wish they'd bring back Stargate: SG1 and Firefly. It made me very sad to
learn they were going off the air.

How did you and your husband meet? Was it love at first sight?

I met my husband when I was fourteen years old. He was an "older man" at the ripe old age of seventeen. It was love at first sight for him, I was still
in shock that an older guy thought I was cute. That was nineteen years ago
and we've been together ever since. We will be celebrating our twelfth
wedding anniversary in 2009.

What is this romance writer's idea of the "perfect romantic evening"?

I take simplicity over elaborate. My husband likes to plan surprise nights
in for us. He's been known to buy a bunch of different cheeses and fruits, get a bottle of wine and invite me to sit down in front of the fire place. We
get to chat and spend time together. For me, that's one of the most romantic things he can do for me.

How do you describe Christine d'Abo? How does Christine d'Abo's husband describe her?

I tend to describe myself as dedicated and very goal focused. I love to have
fun and joke around with people.

My husband describes me as driven, focused...and a stress bag. I tend to
worry about the little things in life and it's his goal to get me to relax. :-)

 

MORE FUN...

We all love Thanksgiving! So, tell us…it's a pressing question…about cranberry sauce!!! Jellied or Whole Berry? Homemade or canned? Which do you prefer?

Oh tough call...I prefer homemade whole berries personally. That said, I've
been known to buy the canned whole berries in the past. Sometimes, you have to make sacrifices.

What does this romance writer wear at night?

Sad as this sounds, I love my long pajama pants and long sleeve shirts in
the cold months. Remember people - flannel is sexy!

Name the best appliance ever invented? What is the one that should have   just stayed on the drawing board?

The microwave, hands down, is the best appliance. I mean back in the day you had to, you know, plan ahead for meals. Take things out in the morning and let them *gasp* thaw! My family would never eat! Did I mention I don't plot my books ahead of time either?

I personally think the world could have survived without the nose hair
trimmer.

Oh my I am gonna peek into your refrigerator. What am I gonna see in   there?

Eek! Right now there are several bottles of beer - tomorrow is football day.
Of course we have lots of fruit, cheese and ham. Apparently I need to get
groceries.

And lastly, no interview of a writer would be complete without this question: what is your favorite comfort food?

If I'm having a bad day, I will pop a big bag of popcorn and pour extra
butter and salt on it. Always makes me feel good.

Thank you so much to chatting with me, Brooke. It's been a lot of fun!

 

It has been our pleasure.   Best of luck with your writing in the future!

By Brooke Wills

Romance Junkies Publishing Editor Pam Sacknea

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