Carol Mason, author of The Secrets of Married Women, The Love Market and Send Me A Lover interviews me below. Seeing she is one of my favorite authors and almost as famous as Kate Middleton in the U.K., I was thrilled to be included in this blog hop. Take it away Carol...
I am going to ask 11 questions of Kim Hornsby, author of The Dream Jumper’s Promise and Necessary Detour, to name two. http://www.kimhornsbyauthor.net/ Kim, here goes…
1. Describe the type of books you write, as I believe you also write under a pen name.
I'd like to think I write novels that appeal to smart women who like a
little mystery and romance. (Men have been known to enjoy my books too!) THE
DREAM JUMPER’S PROMISE has the added aspect of supernatural dream sharing and
serendipity, something I hope to layer into my future novels. NECESSARY DETOUR is romantic suspense after my editor worked her magic on it to make the romance more important for the Wild Rose Press Crimson Rose suspense line.
I took a stab at
contemporary romance this year with the pen name Kiki Abbott, writing a type of
fan fiction, about the TV show THE BACHELOR. Because Romance sells the best, I figured it
couldn’t hurt to take a stab at romance and I have to say it was super fun! I also wrote a novella for an anthology available on Amazon with 3 other authors, titled Sweet Summertime Romance.
2. You were once photographed with Sylvester Stallone. Is there something about you that we need to know?
Ha! I sang with the Maui Philharmonic Swing Band for years and in 1994 we were working a “Hollywood Party’ on New Years Eve on Maui and the host was film producer, Shep Gordon. Loads of celebrities showed up every year and that year Frank Stallone, the writer of the song Eye of the Tiger, from Rocky, was in the house. I asked him to sing with me on stage and he declined. When his brother Sly arrived with his posse of followers, I spoke to him on a set break. He let my friend take a pic of him with me if I did not sell the picture to a magazine. Having just finished a film in Florida with Sharon Stone, he talked about how hard he worked out to look good on film. He's much shorter than you'd think and very easy to talk to. In my singing career, I met a lot of celebrities, including Maya Angelou. I spent about a half hour talking to her backstage. My band opened for her keynote speech to a convention group. Unreal!
2. You were once photographed with Sylvester Stallone. Is there something about you that we need to know?
Ha! I sang with the Maui Philharmonic Swing Band for years and in 1994 we were working a “Hollywood Party’ on New Years Eve on Maui and the host was film producer, Shep Gordon. Loads of celebrities showed up every year and that year Frank Stallone, the writer of the song Eye of the Tiger, from Rocky, was in the house. I asked him to sing with me on stage and he declined. When his brother Sly arrived with his posse of followers, I spoke to him on a set break. He let my friend take a pic of him with me if I did not sell the picture to a magazine. Having just finished a film in Florida with Sharon Stone, he talked about how hard he worked out to look good on film. He's much shorter than you'd think and very easy to talk to. In my singing career, I met a lot of celebrities, including Maya Angelou. I spent about a half hour talking to her backstage. My band opened for her keynote speech to a convention group. Unreal!
3. What is your ultimate dream as a writer if you could map the course of
your writer’s career?
I LOVE THIS QUESTION! I’d like to be as famous as Janet Evanovich, write like Elin HIlderbrand and rub elbows with Jodi Piccoult at writer conventions. I hope to be traditionally published in 2014, have film options that same year and be able to write full time with a gorgeous office and the respect of my husband who does not support my career choice at this point.
4. What is the best novel you have read recently and the one that disappointed you the most, and why?
I read a lot! A book a week. I have read and loved so many books in the last few months. The Secrets of Married Women was gorgeous,Looking for La La was hilarious, The Rules of Dreaming was cerebral, ROOM was haunting, The Girl From Long Guyland was like a blast from the past, Summerland was perfect, and the book that disappointed me the most was a N Y Times Best Seller and not as good as I would’ve liked. Sorry author! I also feel okay saying I did not like Safe Haven as much as most people. Straight romance is often disappointing to me. At this point in my life I like Women’s Fiction. If it has a romance…BINGO. Or a mystery to solve!
I LOVE THIS QUESTION! I’d like to be as famous as Janet Evanovich, write like Elin HIlderbrand and rub elbows with Jodi Piccoult at writer conventions. I hope to be traditionally published in 2014, have film options that same year and be able to write full time with a gorgeous office and the respect of my husband who does not support my career choice at this point.
4. What is the best novel you have read recently and the one that disappointed you the most, and why?
I read a lot! A book a week. I have read and loved so many books in the last few months. The Secrets of Married Women was gorgeous,Looking for La La was hilarious, The Rules of Dreaming was cerebral, ROOM was haunting, The Girl From Long Guyland was like a blast from the past, Summerland was perfect, and the book that disappointed me the most was a N Y Times Best Seller and not as good as I would’ve liked. Sorry author! I also feel okay saying I did not like Safe Haven as much as most people. Straight romance is often disappointing to me. At this point in my life I like Women’s Fiction. If it has a romance…BINGO. Or a mystery to solve!
5. Describe your writing process – to plot or not to plot, before you begin?
Plotter or Pantser? I plot a fair bit, write, and see where it takes me so you might say I’m a plotser or a pantter. I like to know where I’m going, what the conflict is and who the main characters are before I start. With Dream Jumper, the big surprise ending (the twist) was added just before I published, as an afterthought. Am I ever glad I did that! Read my reviews to see how important the surprise ending is.
6. Since you first started writing, up until now, how would you say you have grown as a writer?
As a writer, I’ve grown by about 7 pounds. But then, I also had my 50th birthday in the last few years. I'm in that stage of life where I 'm trying to embrace my new curves. Kidding aside, I'm now working on the first book I ever wrote because I love the story so much. I have grown as an author a lot in nine years, thank goodness. My writing is stronger, cleaner and has more cut to the quick in it. Phew!
7. How do you come up with a book idea?
The question should be ‘how do you deny all the ideas you have for books?’ I’m inundated with ideas, shooting at me all day long.
8. How secure are you as a writer (given that creative people are thought to be quite insecure about their art)? If you had a great book idea and 5 of your writer friends shot it down, would you write it anyway?
I am overly secure as a writer. The first book I wrote, there was no question that it would be a household word. I had a business suit pressed and ready for the big agent meeting. This is why I teach the course Channeling Your Inner Rock Star, a workshop on public speaking. There is no doubt in my mind that I’ll be successful as a writer. It’s just a matter of when. I suppose it’s better than being shy but being overly confident has its drawbacks too. Keep in mind that I used to make my living as an actress. I had a youtube channel called Dr. Venus, offering love advice as a foreign 'doctor' of love.
That said, if 5 writer friends shot it down, I'd listen. I still feel like a baby in this industry and my writer friends would not shoot something down they didn't feel was all wrong. I'm thinking here of my critique group and their advice is golden.
9. Without giving away any plot, what is your favorite scene in a book you’ve written?
I love the scene in The Dream Jumper’s Promise where the main character, Tina, walks the beach with an old boyfriend who’s come to Maui and finds her in a terrible state. Her husband has gone missing and is presumed dead but she can't accept his death without a body. Her dreams of him are driving her nuts. The old boyfriend, Jamey, feels he must reveal that he can enter dreams. And with this strange and unbelievable ability he offers to visit her dreams to help her determine her husband’s whereabouts. They have quite a history together and after an argument, he kisses her. Writing a book where there is a missing husband, an old boyfriend and a confused woman had to be handled very carefully but I'm told it works.
11. Tell me about Beach Read Authors. What can readers hope to find there?
Beach Read Authors is a blog group I formed with several up and coming novelists who write gorgeous, compelling books that can be savored to read on vacation. We have blog posts, contests and cross promote each other’s work. If you find yourself at our site, you can discover over twenty-five different books of all genres by nine different authors who write like their life depends on it. Love this group!Beach Read Authors
9. Without giving away any plot, what is your favorite scene in a book you’ve written?
I love the scene in The Dream Jumper’s Promise where the main character, Tina, walks the beach with an old boyfriend who’s come to Maui and finds her in a terrible state. Her husband has gone missing and is presumed dead but she can't accept his death without a body. Her dreams of him are driving her nuts. The old boyfriend, Jamey, feels he must reveal that he can enter dreams. And with this strange and unbelievable ability he offers to visit her dreams to help her determine her husband’s whereabouts. They have quite a history together and after an argument, he kisses her. Writing a book where there is a missing husband, an old boyfriend and a confused woman had to be handled very carefully but I'm told it works.
11. Tell me about Beach Read Authors. What can readers hope to find there?
Beach Read Authors is a blog group I formed with several up and coming novelists who write gorgeous, compelling books that can be savored to read on vacation. We have blog posts, contests and cross promote each other’s work. If you find yourself at our site, you can discover over twenty-five different books of all genres by nine different authors who write like their life depends on it. Love this group!Beach Read Authors
10. If you were forbidden from writing novels, what would you do that might come close to satisfying you?
Writing short stories and stringing them all together. Or painting, drawing, some form of art. I once won an award in the American Songwriting Competition but that's a hard life, writing songs. I feel like music is behind me now.
Thanks Carol for the fun questions. As someone who used to practice being interviewed by Johnny Carson in the mirror as a child, I was tickled to answer your questions!
No comments:
Post a Comment