Today we are talking to author Andie Brock.
Andie Brock on the web:
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Andie Brock on the web:
Facebook Twitter Website
What inspires you to write?
Creative
writing is just something I have always loved to do.
Plus
I’m a very nosy person. So when I overhear conversations (I’m a terrible
eavesdropper!), or am chatting with friends over a glass of wine or being told
snippets of gossip by my daughters I find myself wondering if maybe that could
go into a story. The tabloid newspapers are great for ideas too, I’m always
scanning them with an eye for a potential plot.
Tell us about your writing process
I’m
a seat-of-the-pants girl who aspires to be a sensible plotter! Whenever I start
a new book I am full of good intentions, telling myself that I will work this
one out, chapter by chapter, so I know exactly where it is going. Then a little
voice inside me says maybe I’ll just start
chapter one and before I know it I’m off. The enthusiasm is there but it
does mean I lead myself down blind alleys and end up with a lot of rewrites. Put
it this way, on the startling line I’ll be the one who jumps the gun but never
ends up winning the race!
Do you listen (or talk to) your
characters?
They
talk to me! I love writing dialogue and when I’m mentally trying to figure out
some plot issue (often when I’m taking a walk as I find this helps) my hero and
heroine pop into my head and start chattering away. Sometimes it helps and I
get home and scribble down their conversations. Other times I need them to shut
up so I can see the bigger picture!
What advice would you give to other
writers?
Decide
who you are writing for and really target that market. In my case I always knew
I wanted to write for Harlequin Presents so I made sure I read as many of them
as I could (amazing what you can get away with in the name of research!) and
then focussed on writing specifically with them in mind. My top tip for
Harlequin? Get your hero and heroine together on the first page! And never give
up. If you really want it, keep believing in yourself and you will get there in
the end.
What is your favourite genre to read?
I’m
a contemporary romance girl at heart and tend not to stray too far from that
genre. If it’s beautifully written and moves me emotionally, that does it for
me. I keep intending to read more historical fiction – Wolf Hall has been
sitting on my bedside table for far too long. J
Tell us about your book.
A
skydiving accident means that if Rafael Revaldi, the Conde di Monterrato, wants
an heir he is going to have to persuade his estranged wife, Lottie, to agree.
Lottie
has walked away from their marriage, convinced it was damaged beyond repair.
But now she finds herself back at the palazzo and faced with Rafael’s
astonishing request!
How
can she say no when a baby would mean so much to both of them?
As
they wait to see if Lottie will become a mother and Rafael will get his precious
heir they are forced to confront the painful issues that wrecked their
marriage. But more than that, they have to fight the powerful sensual
connection that has unexpectedly burst into life between them. Both of them are
determined to fight it. But is this a battle that can never be won?
Read Reader Reviews
Buy Links:
Amazon
Read Reader Reviews
Buy Links:
Amazon
A girl after my own heart! I'm also a pantser at heart wishing and trying to be a plotter! :)
ReplyDeletePerhaps 2015 will be the year we both make the change! Good luck!
DeleteHappy New Year Andie, how I LOVED how your characters talked to you - made for an excellent read a very muchly enjoyed! Congratulations on your release, I hope it's very successful. This is the exact story that I read this genre for. I look forward to your future books and wish you a most wonderful and successful 2015 :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Tash! You are very kind and generous with your support and I want you to know it is much appreciated. :) A Happy New Year to you too.
DeleteI think Jemi and I are both in the same boat along with you! Wish I could plot things out, but it just never quite works :) Happy New Year and best of luck with your novel!!
ReplyDeleteThank you and a Happy New Year to you too Meradeth! Here's to a successful year of writing - which ever way we do it. :)
DeleteI like the idea of hearing all sorts of things and wondering how to include them into a novel! I am sure that is a great way of getting inspiration. Happy new year and hope writing goes well!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you too, Olivia-Savannah (what a lovely name!). I hope 2015 is an inspirational one for you.
DeleteI love when my characters talk to me. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, it's great isn't it, Kelly?! Like they are taking control of the story without you having to do a thing. Having said that, sometimes they need reining in. They need to know who is the master here :).
DeleteCongrats, Andie, on your new release!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. I would love your feedback if you get the chance to read it.
DeleteCongrats, Andie! Great advice about knowing your target market as you go in to write.
ReplyDeleteThank you Cherie! Apart from making sure you are pitching the right product to the right person it also gives you a tighter framework to work within and your writing has more focus. I know that really helped me.
DeleteSo nice to meet Andie! I tend to be nosy too- but mostly when I am out in public. I start people watching without even noticing. It is amazing all the stories unfolding right in front of us! Wishing Andie all the best!
ReplyDelete~Jess
Hi Jess and thank you for your good wishes! Yes, it's amazing the little snippets of people's lives you can glimpse when you are standing in a supermarket queue or something. Thinking about it, maybe people are watching me... probably thinking 'look at that nosy old bat'. :)
DeleteEavesdropping and the tabloids provide me with good writing material too.
ReplyDeleteGood luck and congratulations, Andie. Happy New Year!
Thank you so much, Robyn, and a very Happy New Year to you too. Here's hoping we come across some little gems this year that spark off a plot for a story.
DeleteI'll only be a pantser with short stories. I plot novels. I think it is exciting to pants and see what one comes up with.
ReplyDeleteGreat cover and looks like a wonderful story. Congrats to Andie.
Thank you Medeia, I love the cover too! I think the best combination for me would be 80% plotter and 20% pantster. That way I'd have a good solid foundation to work with but room to let a bit of magic in, should I be lucky enough to find any! Well there's my NY resolution sorted. Not that I've ever been very good at keeping them... ;)
DeleteYou can pick up a lot of good ideas just by listening to people talk. Good interview!
ReplyDeleteThank you Sherry! The interview was a lot of fun to do.
ReplyDeleteLovely interview! We were house shopping yesterday and ended up in a new neighborhood where one of the roads was called Harlequin Drive. I thought, "This would be the perfect place for a Harlequin novelist to live!"
ReplyDeleteYes, Stephanie - I want to live there! Imagine a street full of romantic novelists all sitting at their windows tapping away on computers, turtle doves cooing on the window sills. When can I move in?! ;)
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how some of our observations often turn into the best story ideas! Wishing you much success, Andie! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteJulie
Thank you very much, Julie, and a Happy New Year to you too! Here's to some cracking story ideas for 2015!
ReplyDeleteI think it's wonderful how all of us are similar in so many ways. I'm nosy too! Plus I love writing. Plus I love overhearing conversations. Plus... well you get the drift. Happy New Year, Andie. Best to you too, RR.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you Joylene. Seems like we are all people watching/listening! The human race is fascinating! Or as my granny used to cheerfully say (she came from the north of England) 'there's nowt so queer as folk.' :)
ReplyDeleteThat struggle sounds familiar to me - I always think about planning a story and suddenly I've already started it...
ReplyDeleteHappy new year!
Happy New Year to you too, Deniz! At least we've got the enthusiasm, if not the discipline. That can't be all bad!
ReplyDeleteThat is so good advice you gave to new writers.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the interview.
Thank you, Lady Lilith. It was lovely to have the opportunity to share some snippets of my experience so far. :)
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