Sep 19, 2012

Legends at LoveCats . . . . Meredith Webber

The LoveCats are delighted to host another wonderful Legend this month . . . the fabulous Meredith Webber.


1/ Please tell us a little about your journey to first getting published? 
Many years ago I heard Tessa Shapcott interviewed on radio and the one thing she said that stuck with me was that wanted writers who produced.  Eager to prove my production ability I sent of three chapters and a synopsis to London every month, then RWAus came into being and I heard about medical romance so sent them three chapters and a synopsis and back came a letter – no email in those days – asking for a whole book.  I’d never written a whole book, but terrified the editor would forget me if I didn’t get it there fast, I finished the book in a fortnight, sent it off and it was accepted – phone ringing in middle of the night with a fax coming through – that was the usual way of communication.

 2/ How many books have you had published so far in your career? 
I’ve had 86 M and B medical romance, one ST set in Brisbane during the war, and in the early days of e-books about 6 books published by New Concepts Publishing.

 
3/ The world of publishing is ever evolving, how have you stayed on top of trends and continued to give your readers what they want? 
I kind of went backwards with this.  I didn’t realise for a long time that readers actually want the same story all the time, just told with different twists and quirks.  I set my first book in India and early ones in the outback, up in the Himalayas during trekking season, one was a medical rescue team that flew into South America and Africa repatriating sick or injured Aussies.  I had a non-medical hero and a few vets and various other ‘different’ books all of which had my up and down reader ratings driving m editor nuts.  Now I do try to write the same story all the time, but my characters live today and live as today’s twenty to thirty something’s live so they are real people.

 4/ What has been the highlight of your publishing career so far? 
I suppose being number one on some list in the US – a fact that I was unaware of – didn’t know there were lists – until a friend told me.  My next book came out with a little flag on the cover saying Number One best-selling author.

 5/ Which of your books is your favourite, and why? 
Very hard!  I was asked to write a book solely from the hero’s viewpoint and I loved that book.  Another had an Army officer as a hero – Army helping people in flooded outback town – and he was bossy and irritating and the heroine fought with him all the way through but it was fun.  Recently Taming Dr Tempest had a hero who was very much a city man sent to the outback and that was fun to write as well.

 6/ Are you a plotter or a panster? 
I do wish I was a plotter. Believe me, I’ve tried.  The only time I did the whole plotting thing, thinking it all out, having little cards to shuffle around, I spent so much time on the plotting I felt as if I’d already written the book and the writing felt stale to me and it took ages to write.  I realised then that the only thing that keeps me writing to the end is to find out for myself what happens.

 
7/ What’s the one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors? 
Sit down and write.  It’s my mantra.  You can talk about writing, read about writing, go to seminars and workshops and conferences but eventually it’s butt on seat and fingers moving so sit down and write.

To go into the draw to win a signed copy of The Sheikh and The Surrogate Mum, please leave a comment.

Thankyou Meredith for joining the LoveCats today.

15 comments:

  1. Very nice interview. Congrats on all the books!

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  2. Hi Meredith - it's so wonderful to have you here. I can remember reading Healing Love when it first came out. I might even still have my copy :) 86 books! Amazing.

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  3. Meredith, it's lovely to have you here at LoveCats! You're a real legend and one of the first Mills and Boon authors I read. In fact, reading you and other Aussies encouraged me to try my hand and writing. I've never read your Himalaya story. I'll have to look for it.

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  4. Meredith, how fabulous to hear how you first got published. Your productivity has always inspired me, and it's so thrilling to think you've got so many books published and have made so many readers happy. I'm really enjoying this Legends series. It's just awesome to see how you've kept your writing fresh and relevant to modern readers. Something for us all to emulate.

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  5. Hey, Meredith, welcome to the LoveCats! Congratulations on your fabulous books, you are an inspiration!

    Although I've enjoyed all of your books that I've read, there's one that particularly stands out for me. It's written in first person from the heroine's POV. I was going to say that I couldn't remember the title... but then I went to my keeper shelf and there it was - "Doctors In Flight"! Brilliant read!

    mmm, might be time to make a cuppa and revisit Hillary and her Outback adventures!

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  6. Hi Meredith, love your books and it's lovely to see you on Love cats.

    Finished the book in two weeks, eh? Wow! What an inspiration.

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  7. I'm from Canada and sadly the HMED line is only sold online here. I only started ordering from Harlequin about 5 years ago. I have read some of your books and enjoyed them.

    I love interviews like this one as it gives me an insight into the writer's life. Thanks Meredith and Lacey.

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  8. Oh sit down and write! So that's what I'm doing wrong. Good advice. I'm off!

    ps - love your books!

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  9. Meredith, welcome to the LoveCats! Great interview, Helen. :)

    I'd love to read the book all from the hero's POV - does anyone know the title?

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  10. It's always wonderful to learn more about the writer behind the books. I'm positive that I read my sister's copies of your books & so began my journey.

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  11. I bow to you, Meredith. Yours has been the name I have sought out for Medicals forEVER - and here you are, in the flesh. Well... cyberflesh anyway. *fans self* Love your writing, love your story, love your genre. I'm just a smitten kitten really! (albeit an old feline Kiwi version of a kittie) Thanks for sharing ! :-)

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  12. Hi Meredith! Thanks so much for coming to LoveCats and sharing your story! I've loved every book of yours that I've read-and am super impressed by your amazing output! I'll have to look out for your earlier ones- and Doctors In Flight!

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  13. Hi Meredith! Thanks so much for dropping in =)
    I can't claim to have read all your books, but those I have I've thoroughly enjoyed. A fave is Claimed by the Desert Prince. I remember reading the description of the hero and being so drawn in.
    Congratulations on...is that 93 books!!!

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  14. Lovely interview, ladies. Meredith welcome to the LoveCats, we're so delighted to have you visit us! 86 books! You're living proof that your writing advice works. Not to mention an inspiration. :-)

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  15. Meredith. Thank you for your wonderful books. Thanks to my local library, you were one of the first M&B medical authors I read. I can't remember the title, but I know I was hooked and read as many of your books as they had. Then I found out that I could get them on ebay and later on from M&B online. 86 books! I'm missing a few titles, not many, but it's always fun to keep searching.
    Thank you for many enjoyable hours reading.

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