May 20, 2013

Legend on LoveCats...... with Christine Rimmer!


Welcome to another Legends on LoveCats. Today we are excited to have the wonderful Christine Rimmer as our guest. Christine is a USA Today Bestselling author and writes for Harlequin Special Edition.



Greetings, LoveCats!  Thanks for inviting me to visit with you today!


1/ Please tell us a little about your journey to first getting published?

 It was years and years ago.  I was young and adventurous. After giving up the acting career I’d pursued without much success into my 20’s, I tried my hand at a number of different writing disciplines.  I was a playwright and had my plays produced in Southern California; I wrote and published poetry and short stories.  But you can bet at the end of the day, a great romance was always close at hand for my reading pleasure.  I finally got smart and decided to try to write what I loved most to read.  I bought a book on how to write a romance and followed the instructions, which sounds quite simple but really was an interesting journey.  There was research that lasted for months.  I had to read and catalog and analyze 200 romances.  I enjoyed every one those love stories and when I got down to the actual writing of that first book, I found I loved writing romances as much as I loved reading them.  And so I’ve been writing them ever since.  I started out in series/category romance and I’ve written a few mainstream stories, but in the main, my career has been in category, which I still love to write.

When I wrote my first series romance, there were several other category romance publishers here in the USA.  I tried them all, avoiding Harlequin because I had some idea that a beginner like me would never have a chance there.  Finally, after several rejections, I decided to go ahead and query Harlequin, though I was doubtful anything would come of it.  They asked to see my book!  I was so thrilled.  And then, months later, I got the call.  What a day that was!  I walked on air for months after.

 2/ How many books have you had published so far in your career? 

Oh, 80 or so.

 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 read, read, read.  And then I read some more.  I know, that’s not particularly surprising, it’s just what all authors do.  We are, all of us, readers first and foremost.

When I’m reading, I stay open to how the syntax and rhythm of the language keeps changing. I watch for new turns of phrase. I pay attention to how social mores develop and our perceptions of what’s desirable in life and love alter.  I try to keep current on how people talk and behave.

That said, so far in my romance writing career, certain beloved storylines have remained consistently popular: the Marriage of Convenience, the Secret Baby, Hero or Heroine with Amnesia, the Sexy Single Dad, Reunion Stories, Runaway Brides, Alpha Heroes—all these and more never seem to lose their appeal.  And I happen to love writing such stories.  It’s the place where what I love to write intersects with an audience, and that means I’m fortunate to have wonderful readers all over the world who enjoy a book by Christine Rimmer.

 4/ What has been the highlight of your publishing career so far?

 I honestly can’t name just one.  Though I enjoy the satisfaction of making bestseller lists and winning awards for my writing, I do think I love the process of writing most of all.  So the highlights are those days when everything is working and the words just seem to flow into my head and out my fingers onto the screen.  My dear friend Susan Mallery and I have a sort of salutation we share.  “May you write like the wind.”  That’s it.  That’s as good as it gets.  When I write like the wind.

 5/ Which of your books is your favourite, and why?

 Sorry.  Can’t name a favorite. The others might get jealous.  ;)  I am thoroughly enjoying writing my Bravo Royales series now.  It’s fun, for a change, to write about princes on the Cote d’Azur instead of American heroes in Texas.  Or Wyoming.  Or California...

 6/ Are you a plotter or a panster?

 Er, both.  Probably more on the plotter side than the panster.

 I work with a plot group and love the plot/brainstorming process.  Twice a year I meet with Susan Mallery, Kate Carlisle and Teresa Southwick in Las Vegas.  For four days, we brainstorm each other’s plots and get the sessions on tape.  I get two taped sessions per plot group.  Of course, when I sit down to write my proposal, a lot changes from whatever we worked out in the session.  But I always get so many more ideas from those three other brilliant brains than I could if I were working completely on my own.

 By the time I’ve put the story into outline/synopsis form, it’s pretty thoroughly planned out. But then I’m always changing it up once I’m writing the manuscript, discovering new things about the characters and the story.  Often the second half of the book will be different in some ways than planned.  But the general arcs of plot points and character development usually remains, well, if not the same, definitely close.

7/ What’s the one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

Read, read, read and then write, write, write.  Write a whole book.  And then write another one.  I know, I know.  It’s not very original.  But it works.

 8/ What do you love most about being a romance author?

 It still comes down the work for me, the satisfaction I get when a synopsis finally clicks, or when I finish a book and know I’ve written the best book I could for this moment in my life as a writer. Beyond the writing process, I love when the paperback author’s copies of my latest release come in the mail.  I love to hold my latest book in my hands and grin at the sight of my name on the front and think, “I did that.  And I can do it again.”


Thank you so much Christine for visiting us today...

Please leave a comment to go into the draw to win a copy of Christine's latest Harlequin Special Edition Her Highness And The Bodyguard


33 comments:

  1. I'm not going to read the blurb or an excerpt, as I know I'll enjoy every word. Sometimes if I read a bit of the story, I get confused when I actually the read the book, as I think I've already read it all before. I don't want that to happen with one of your books. Especially when the title includes "Her Highness" and "The Bodyguard". You can't go wrong with those two characters, right? Sounds devine; even looks devine. Thank you.

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  2. I've read it and LOVED it! I always Pre-order Christine Rimmer's books! I can easily recommend her books!

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  3. I have been reading Christine's books since the beginning. She is one of my favorite authors.

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  4. Very nice interview

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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  5. Greetings, all. :) Again, thanks for having me.

    Laney4, thank you! I do know what you mean about the blurb thing. Because situations and storylines are often similar, a reader can really think, "I've been here before." Plus, some readers don't want to know what might be about to happen in the middle of the book. They want the whole journey, with no hints of where it's going ahead of time.

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  6. Carocress, what I totally LOVE to hear. Thank you!!!

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  7. Tammy, hey! So good to "see" you. Thanks much. XOXO!

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  8. bn100, they were really good questions. Thanks, Helen Lacey! :D

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  9. love your books. And I am out of Oreos again:-)

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  10. I love your books and Oreos

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  11. Hi ladies, yes I find you everywhere.
    Great interview Christine, I'd love to interview you we'll talk :)

    xoxo
    deb

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  12. Enjoyed the interview, I am a reader, not a writer, but you make it sound as if it is so much fun I may be forced to try it!

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  13. Hi Christine - thanks for being here with us today. Your books are one of the reasons I started writing Special Edition's. Your Bravo series is awesome!

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  14. Regencygirlo1! Out of Oreos??! No! XOXO! Thank you. :)

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  15. Debbie, thanks for coming by! Yes! Let's do that. XOXOXO! Would love it.

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  16. Christine, many thanks for dropping by and visiting our little den -- we're totally thrilled to have you!

    And I have to say I loved your answer to Q2: Oh, 80 or so. So airy and unconcerned! :-) I think I'll try to develop a similar airiness...maybe it'll come naturally when I've reached, Oh, book 60 or so, perhaps. ;-)

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  17. Christine, what a thrill to have you here today. It's fascinating hearing your approach to writing, and how you spend precious time with friends plotting. I particularly liked your 'writing like the wind'. There's really nothing like it when it all comes together. Magic!

    On a private note I'm so pleased you mentioned receiving your book and holding it and thinking you did that and can do it again. Coincidentally I just received my latest book 10 minutes ago but my current story is in the doldrums and I was wondering about it. Reading your comment made me remember that I can do it with perseverance. Thank you.

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  18. Wonderful interview, thank you Christine, with lots of insight for both writers and readers. I think I might adopt your "writing like the wind" phrase!

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  19. Such a very casual "Oh, 80 or so." WOW!! I thoroughly enjoyed the interview thank you. Here's to the next 80 or so.

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  20. 80 or so - what an incredible achievement, Christine!!!! I love that saying 'May you write like the wind'. Thanks for such an inspirational interview.

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  21. Christine, welcome to the LoveCats!

    Your interview is so inspiring. I think I'll join Kandy in adopting, "May you write like the wind." Thanks for dropping by. :)

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  22. Hi Christine,
    Writing like the wind works for me. Love it. Thanks for a wonderful insight into your writing life.

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  23. Anonymous, :D Thanks! You should, you should.

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  24. Michelle, well, there are days I wonder how I ever managed to write even one book. So you're not alone. Honest. I have my days when I'm confident, and then there are the one where I want to beat my head on the keyboard. :O

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  25. Annie, the writing like the wind thing is totally Susan Mallery's. I do like to steal from the best! And if I helped lift you out of the doldrums, I'm a happy girl. :)

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  26. Kandy, thank you! Re writing like the wind, I stole it from Susan. You should def steal it from me. :D

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  27. Mary, thanks! And YES to the next 80... XOXO!

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  28. Jennifer, my pleasure. I have friends who leave me in the dust in terms of how many books they've written. I think your own personal writing rhythm is part of it. Some people do write fast. Others not so much. So we're always faster than some--and slower than others...

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  29. Rachel, I'm enjoying ever minute of this visit. Thank you!

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  30. Melanie, I just wish every day could be a "like the wind" day. Not always. But hey. Another one comes around eventually...

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  31. Christine, your plot group process sounds fabulous! Did one of your group write an article about it for the RWR a couple of years ago? I seem to remember reading about a similar group and would love to track down the article.

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  32. Rachel, it is a wonderful group. I think Eloisa James wrote an article about the group she was in with Christina Dodd, which was the same sort of group--as Christina has plotted with Susan Mallery many times. Susan is actually the originator of this type of group. It really is a great method for generating plot ideas. I always come home with so much more to work with than I would have had on my own.

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