Interview

Hi Nancy 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?

 

Hi, Brooke!  Thanks so much for having me.  It’s a real pleasure to be here.  I have two books out this year, WICKED REDEMPTION, a paranormal romance, and STRANGER IN HIS BED, a historical romance. 

 

Here’s a blurb from WICKED REDEMPTION:

Maggie Webb never considered her ability a gift.  In fact, seeing dead people has put quite a damper on her life.  When a demon shows up seeking revenge, all hell breaks loose.  An even bigger problem:  he passes out in her home then wakes up with no memory whatsoever.

 

Cole Turner is back from Hell, and he’s going to make Maggie pay.  Maggie’s “gift” is blocking his mission of stealing souls.  However, coming to Earth without permission from The Dark One has cut his ties to Hell and caused him to lose his memory.  He no longer knows Maggie Webb as his enemy but sees her as the only person who can help him discover who, or what, he really is.

 

Maggie doesn’t want to see the vulnerability in Cole, and the healer in her struggles against her better judgment.  Having amnesia, Cole reveals his humanity to her, and he becomes the first to really understand her gift, which gradually unlocks her guarded heart.  The attraction she feels toward him is undeniable, but if Cole regains his memory he may try to destroy her once again.  And if the Dark One finds him…Can Maggie break the bonds of Hell? 

 

And here’s a blurb from STRANGER IN HIS BED:

A spy for the British, Cat Sterling is used to living dangerously.  Despite having a bounty on her head, she never expects to be shot in the line of duty and left for dead. 

 

Angus French had enough problems without finding a near-dead woman on his property.  A Revolution was coming, and British sympathizers have just burned down his tavern.  The last thing he needs is to be caught housing a woman who’s working for them. 

The price on Cat’s head will more than pay for the damage done to his business.  He never expects Cat to see him as security and kindness, two things she’s never had in life.  And he never expects to learn that Cat has a few secrets of her own.

 

What is the easiest part of the writing process for you? What is the hardest part, the one task you wish you could wave a magic wand and it would be done for you?

 

That’s a tough one.  I think the easiest thing for me is coming up with ideas.  They’re everywhere, always hitting my brain with the force of a Mac truck.  In fact, I can’t stop them.  I have more story ideas than I could ever write in a lifetime. 

 

Line editing! LOL  If I could get a magic fairy to check for spelling and punctuation, I’d be a happy camper.

 

At what point do you decide on the names of your characters? How do you pick their names? Ever change a character's name mid-stream?

 

Sometimes the names come easy, sometimes not so much.  Strangely, I find a lot of names from gravestones.  If I’m stuck for a name, I roam the local cemetery with a notepad, jotting down first and last names, a first name from this stone, a last name from this one.  Eventually I have a complete name that clicks.  I’ve tried this with the phonebook as well, but strangely I have better luck in cemeteries.  I was actually in this process when I came across the idea for GHOST OF A CHANCE by complete accident.  I thought, What if a ghost comes back and has no idea he’s dead?  What if he believes the heroine is the only one who can help him get back to heaven?  And I guess you could say the rest is history!

 

Is there any one thing you wish you could change about the way you write but know you never will?

 

I wish I could stop being a pantster.  I write by the seat of my pants, often not knowing how the book will end.  This always makes me sweat the endings, fearing if I will be able to tie up all the loose ends, get my hero and heroine out of the corners I’ve backed them into.  I wish I was more organized so as to write a complete outline of the book before I start writing it, but maybe that would take all the fun out of the writing process.  LOL

 

Who most influenced your writing style?

 

I’d have to say my grandmother, who was always a storyteller.  She gave me the appreciation of the value of a good story. 

 

Tell us your favorite bird-watching experience. You’ve mentioned the feisty hummingbirds, and I know they are! Have you ever been dive-bombed by one?

 

Yes, I have been dive-bombed by them, this morning, in fact!  And I’m proud to announce that as of this morning, I have turkeys.  Two of them.  I’m not sure what they’re eating, maybe sunflower seeds that have dropped from the feeder, but they seem quite content to share the area with the hummingbirds.

 

How is the knitting going?  Do you have several projects lined up yet?

 

Well…deep sigh….I’m still chugging away at the blanket I started a few months ago.  Lots of missed stitches later, it’s slow going, but still a lot of fun.  I’m amazed at how relaxing the craft is, and I’ve wasted hours of time browsing the yarn aisle in the craft store.

 

If you were stuck on a desert island what three things would you absolutely have to have with you? 

 

A book to read, my laptop, and my dog, Katie. 

 

What are the traits that make up a “real life” hero? 

 

He’s not afraid to stand up for what he believes in.  It may conflict with the beliefs of the heroine, but when it comes right down to it, he’s not going to back down on his morals or protecting those he loves, which always includes the heroine.

 

What is the best way to spend a quiet evening at home?

 

Reading in bed or writing in my cave.

 

How do you describe Nancy Henderson?  How do Nancy Henderson’s family and friends describe her? 

 

Hmmm…another tough one.  I guess I would say I work too much.  Friends and family all describe me as the person who will say anything.  (Shrug)

 

MORE FUN…

 

Who is the person who has had the biggest influence on your life?  Whom will you pass this “influence” on to? 

 

I’m influenced by so many things, it’s hard to say.  History inspires and motivates me, as does nature.  I’m influenced by the classics, the arts, people who have passed, come and go in my life, those who are still in my life.  People are an interesting lot and never cease to amaze me.

 

Name the best appliance ever invented, the one you will defend its worth to one and all?

 

The toaster.  I mean, is toast not thee best???

 

What is your favorite expression? What is the one expression you wish you could stop saying?

 

I’ve got to finish this %$*# book!!!

 

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

 

Pizza.  Or anything slathered in cheese. 

 

Thank you so much for interviewing me. I’d like to add, if I may, that I love hearing from readers.  Please visit my website at:  http://www.nancyhenderson.com or my blog:  http://www.nancyhenderson.blogspot.com

 

Ah, a pizza-sister!  I could eat it almost every day!  Thank you, Nancy, for taking time away from your writing to spend with us.  Much luck with your writing career.

By brooke Wills

Romance Junkies Publishing Editor

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