|
Kaye Hatfield
Stop by and visit some of
Kaye's articles:
NEW!
Sam DeMarco
Have you dreamed of starting
your own business? Sam DeMarco,
owner of Compliance Team, did and
he tells us how he made his
dream a reality!
Photo Gallery
Photo Gallery
View a selection of antique photos
including weddings, families,
couples, and children.
Romance & You (Articles)
Stan & Ruth Bukowski
The husband and wife team
that enjoyed Civil War
re-enacting for over 14 years.
Read about their journey as
re-enactors, Hollywood extras,
and participants in independent
film projects!
The Joy of Romantic Journaling
The passage of time can
dim the sweet memories associated
with your romance. Find out what
romantic journaling is, the types
of romantic journals you
can create, and how to
prepare your romantic journal.
Quotes & Poetry
Expand your quotes and poetic horizons by visiting our various Quotes &
Poetry categories:
Thought of the Week: Time for New Beginnings
A series of 8 articles by Melissa Hamilton comprising a collection of principles
that will allow you to make your vision for the future a reality.
Read about the Amish, India,
Philippines, Greece, & Rome.
Link Partners
Romance readers. Check
out our links to other
romance reading sites
by visiting our Link Partners
at Link Partners!
| |
 Romance
Authors Corner
Kate Rothwell
 Photo
courtesy of Studio 16
Kate enjoys hearing from readers. Take
a moment to visit her website at www.katerothwell.com
Why do you enjoy reading and writing romance?
I use to write lots of short fiction, dark bleary bits of life. The best that
could be said of them is most of them had a beginning, middle and end. A few of
my stories were published, and I even got paid for a couple of them. (No, I don’t
feel responsible for the fact that every publication that printed my short
stories has since gone out of business).
 "Somebody
to Love" - November 2004 release! For more information, link to More
information!
When I hit my thirties, life got a tougher. I had trouble reading any books
until I picked up a Georgette Heyer. I discovered escapism in the world of
Romance. After that, I knew what I craved -- books that featured HEA, Happily
Ever After. After a life of whole grains and tofu, I thought I’d discovered
Twinkies. Only later did I understand that diet of Romance alone can keep a
person well nourished and the genre offered everything from
serious thought-provoking stories to fantastic fluffy fun. But usually I like
less serious works. As someone once said, romance is the birthday cake in a
peanut butter sandwich world. (Why am I suddenly hungry?)
You have written in a variety of subgenres (Regency,
Paranormal, Fantasy, and Historical). What unique quality does each subgenre
offer to you as a writer?
I've wondered why I am driven to write so many types of books, and I've
decided that I write the sorts of books that I love to read. Wait -- that's not
entirely true. I love mysteries, but haven't attempted one of those (not lately,
anyway).
All of my books are romances and all of them are character driven, though my
characters are products of their time -- or planet. I love the process of
developing a story, which means living with the characters who are entrenched in
their world.
Someone once pointed out that my people tend not to be standard characters for
their eras. Yeah, many are slightly disenfranchised, quirky or brought up in
less than typical circumstances. But I love the eras in which my books are set.
Hey, I would never allow my Victorian hero in "Somebody to Love" to
say "okay."
How do you approach your research for Regency and
Historicals?
I was a reporter and feature writer for years, so I enjoy doing research. I
can get lost in it, unfortunately. I use books, the Internet, contemporary
accounts and newspapers and novels. (I list a few of my favorite resources on my
website, www.katerothwell.com)
I like getting the big picture
of a society, but really love the little touches that convey a place and time.
Here's a bit of what I mean, copied from a contemporary
account (early 1900s): "The ice wagon leaves a trail of waterdrops pitting
the dust in a straight line to someone’s back door. If the pitting is dark,
the wagon has just been there. The iceman strides back from the house, tongs
dangling loosely from his hand. He spreads open the tongs sets them wide around
whichever one of the great blocks of ice comes closest to hand and yanks it to
the lip of the wagon, bringing a rain of sawdust with it. He drops the tongs to
one side and reaches for his hatchet of a pick. Clink, a rainbow spray of ice
chips falls around and into our outstretched hands. He slams the back door of
his wagon shut, shoves a thick wooden pin through the hasp, clucks to his horse
and moves on."
Unfortunately I didn't write down the title of the source,
though I know it's an autobiography by a woman in Maine. Anyone recognize it?
One of my favorite resources is a copy of the OED that I pull out whenever I'm
not sure of a word's date of origin. That can be bad news because the moment I
get one of those volumes out, the work day is lost.
Your novel, Somebody Wonderful", received a
"Top Pick"
from Romantic Times. Tell us about the day you received the great news.
Somebody Wonderful was my first published book and the sad thing is I didn't
understand how great a Top Pick rating is until recently! (I'm reminded of those
writers who are offered a contract the first time they send out their manuscript
-- we don't appreciate achievement unless we endure some pain first, right?
Yeah, okay, I know that's twisted.)
I did make my husband buy two copies of the magazine, but only because it was
the first review of the book I'd seen.
Are you in a writer’s group? If so, what are the
benefits of
participating in a writer’s group.
I'm a member of several online groups: HHRW, Beau Monde,
and several groups associated with eharlequin. I love the New Jersey Chapter,
the Southbury and the Charter Oak Connecticut Chapters.
Return to
Romance Authors Corner
Return to
Home Page
|
