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
