Ask the Author: Heidi Cullinan
Answered Questions (15)
Heidi Cullinan
Unfortunately they're going nowhere near me. (I'm in Iowa.) But I'll definitely look them up on YouTube!
Heidi Cullinan
Not something I've ever thought about, exactly. I don't really have a favorite romantic line or even a favorite line memorized. So I'll offer up something from my favorite novel, Going Postal by Terry Pratchett.
"Look, I know what I'm like. I'm not the person everyone thinks I am. I just wanted to prove to myself I'm not like Gilt. More than a hammer, you understand? But I'm still a fraud by trade. I thought you knew that. I can fake sincerity so well that even I can't tell. I mess with people's heads—"
"You're fooling no one but yourself," said Miss Dearheart, and reached for his hand.
"Look, I know what I'm like. I'm not the person everyone thinks I am. I just wanted to prove to myself I'm not like Gilt. More than a hammer, you understand? But I'm still a fraud by trade. I thought you knew that. I can fake sincerity so well that even I can't tell. I mess with people's heads—"
"You're fooling no one but yourself," said Miss Dearheart, and reached for his hand.
Heidi Cullinan
I believe in people who connect on the level of a soul, either because of a past life or because we speak to each other in ways we can't always articulate or understand. Sometimes that translates to a romantic connection, sometimes a romantic connection forges something in the soul.
I have a great host soul mates, by that definition, and I'm fortunate to be able to say so.
I have a great host soul mates, by that definition, and I'm fortunate to be able to say so.
Heidi Cullinan
Yes, at least two more. Glad you're enjoying the series!
Heidi Cullinan
Thank you for your kind remarks about my work and your wishes for my heath.
I'd originally intended to go to BEA, but I'm already going to three conventions this year, two this spring. I have two teen girls so it's hard to be gone especially in spring. I'm already worried I might be gone for prom. So probably no BEA.
You'll see more of everyone in the series, but yes, there will be an HEA for Marius too.
I'd originally intended to go to BEA, but I'm already going to three conventions this year, two this spring. I have two teen girls so it's hard to be gone especially in spring. I'm already worried I might be gone for prom. So probably no BEA.
You'll see more of everyone in the series, but yes, there will be an HEA for Marius too.
Heidi Cullinan
Probably not. Love Lessons was never supposed to be a series--well, it was, and then they left the college so I thought, sure, that's it. Then Walter walked into the law office break room and it was a series again. It's Saint Timothy and University of Minnesota now pretty much.
That said, my muses might have different agendas. Honestly I never know.
That said, my muses might have different agendas. Honestly I never know.
Heidi Cullinan
Hi, Benjamin. I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed my stories.
Okay, so the answer with me and series is I have a hard time saying goodbye, but I also love starting new ones. There are two series which are currently "finished" except I have plans to write more books in those universes at some point, which I guess means they aren't actually finished. They are, however, officially on the back burner until I get my series problem under control. The "finished" series are:
• Special Delivery series
• Minnesota Christmas series
Regarding the latter in particular, I have some very particular ideas for what I want to do next, but I have to get some other stuff done first.
These are the series I'm actively working on:
• Love Lessons series
• Roosevelt series (Carry the Ocean)
• Clockwork Love series (Clockwork Heart, which just came out)
• Dancing series (Dance With Me)
The Dancing and Love Lessons series have already begun to overlap and will do so more and more. It's possible the Minnesota Christmas books will bleed into them too. (I mean, they're all practically on top of each other, and they all know each other.)
As far as ETAs go... Well, here's the thing. Usually when a new book comes out, I have at least one, sometimes two on preorder and two more sold and ready to roll out before too long. Right now neither of those things is the case. My health has been weird for a while, it got very weird last year, and I think I kind of mostly have a handle on it, but I lost most of last year. Also, I've gone from being able to write very fast to only being able to write very slowly. To make it even worse, I wrote a nonfiction book last year (that will be coming out in a few months) which took up some time, and the launch for that is taking some time now.
All this said, what I'm working on right now are the following:
• A novella in the Dancing series, which you could call book 1.2. It features Ed and Laurie after the end of book one and goes, I think, through the end of Lonely Hearts (in the LL series). But I'm still writing so it's hard to say what's going on there. You get to find out more about Duon too. It will also be a in part a fundraiser for Avenues for Homeless Youth in Minnesota.
• A novella in the Roosevelt series. It will also be book 1.2. It began as a Christmas present for my patrons (https://www.patreon.com/heidicullinan...) and got way out of hand, so now it's novella.
I also have my usual distraction files, stories I work on when my brain is stuck or I really need to write something crazy. One of them is a dragon shifter story and one is this post-apocalyptic thing. Don't get attached to either of those. I also have a standalone (I swear to gods, it WILL stand alone) new adult gay romance I intend to finish for sure eventually, because it's kind of my new favorite.
My goal is to get both those novellas done this spring, but I have two cons this spring in addition to that book launch, so I'm not holding my breath. Once those are done, I'm going to work on Love Lessons #4, I think. (Which, before everyone asks, is Mina and Rose. Lejla is coming, but she has stuff to sort out first in the background of book 4.) Next is Roosevelt #2. Though honestly what will likely happen is I'll work on both until one sticks, put one down while the other one thinks about what it's done, and then keep going until one of the books is done. Or maybe something different will happen. It's hard to say. Brave new world here in my brain.
Also on my list is Clockwork Love #2, but as you can see we are very crowded in my head. Trying to plan has not been very successful, so I'm giving patience and flexibility a go, neither of which are my strong suits. I'm also working hard to get my body into shape and meditating and all the good stuff because I love working, I want to write all the time, but it has finally sunk in that I require a functioning body and mind to do that, so I had best take care of them. Otherwise I have to run around as a ghost whispering into all your ears, and that's really not the same as reading a book at all.
So, sorry. This is my fantastically long answer to some simple questions. Short answer: LL, yes, MC, no but maybe later, CTO later this year I hope.
Okay, so the answer with me and series is I have a hard time saying goodbye, but I also love starting new ones. There are two series which are currently "finished" except I have plans to write more books in those universes at some point, which I guess means they aren't actually finished. They are, however, officially on the back burner until I get my series problem under control. The "finished" series are:
• Special Delivery series
• Minnesota Christmas series
Regarding the latter in particular, I have some very particular ideas for what I want to do next, but I have to get some other stuff done first.
These are the series I'm actively working on:
• Love Lessons series
• Roosevelt series (Carry the Ocean)
• Clockwork Love series (Clockwork Heart, which just came out)
• Dancing series (Dance With Me)
The Dancing and Love Lessons series have already begun to overlap and will do so more and more. It's possible the Minnesota Christmas books will bleed into them too. (I mean, they're all practically on top of each other, and they all know each other.)
As far as ETAs go... Well, here's the thing. Usually when a new book comes out, I have at least one, sometimes two on preorder and two more sold and ready to roll out before too long. Right now neither of those things is the case. My health has been weird for a while, it got very weird last year, and I think I kind of mostly have a handle on it, but I lost most of last year. Also, I've gone from being able to write very fast to only being able to write very slowly. To make it even worse, I wrote a nonfiction book last year (that will be coming out in a few months) which took up some time, and the launch for that is taking some time now.
All this said, what I'm working on right now are the following:
• A novella in the Dancing series, which you could call book 1.2. It features Ed and Laurie after the end of book one and goes, I think, through the end of Lonely Hearts (in the LL series). But I'm still writing so it's hard to say what's going on there. You get to find out more about Duon too. It will also be a in part a fundraiser for Avenues for Homeless Youth in Minnesota.
• A novella in the Roosevelt series. It will also be book 1.2. It began as a Christmas present for my patrons (https://www.patreon.com/heidicullinan...) and got way out of hand, so now it's novella.
I also have my usual distraction files, stories I work on when my brain is stuck or I really need to write something crazy. One of them is a dragon shifter story and one is this post-apocalyptic thing. Don't get attached to either of those. I also have a standalone (I swear to gods, it WILL stand alone) new adult gay romance I intend to finish for sure eventually, because it's kind of my new favorite.
My goal is to get both those novellas done this spring, but I have two cons this spring in addition to that book launch, so I'm not holding my breath. Once those are done, I'm going to work on Love Lessons #4, I think. (Which, before everyone asks, is Mina and Rose. Lejla is coming, but she has stuff to sort out first in the background of book 4.) Next is Roosevelt #2. Though honestly what will likely happen is I'll work on both until one sticks, put one down while the other one thinks about what it's done, and then keep going until one of the books is done. Or maybe something different will happen. It's hard to say. Brave new world here in my brain.
Also on my list is Clockwork Love #2, but as you can see we are very crowded in my head. Trying to plan has not been very successful, so I'm giving patience and flexibility a go, neither of which are my strong suits. I'm also working hard to get my body into shape and meditating and all the good stuff because I love working, I want to write all the time, but it has finally sunk in that I require a functioning body and mind to do that, so I had best take care of them. Otherwise I have to run around as a ghost whispering into all your ears, and that's really not the same as reading a book at all.
So, sorry. This is my fantastically long answer to some simple questions. Short answer: LL, yes, MC, no but maybe later, CTO later this year I hope.
Heidi Cullinan
All Samhain audio rights are retained by them, but right now they're contracting them all out to Insatiable Press. So when I say I have zero say in what goes to audio, I'm literally two choices removed.
What I tell people to do when they want one of my books in audio is to write the publisher. Get your friends and have them do the same. I tell them constantly, and they say they're working on it, but it's slow. I do know Lonely Hearts just got sold, but Insatiable doesn't want Carry the Ocean because it's not erotic enough. There's talk of Samhain doing it themselves, but that's it so far.
So email. Email often, and get everyone you know who wants it to do the same.
As for all my self published titles, I'm putting them into audio as quickly as I can. Nowhere Ranch is pending, and Dance With Me will happen later this year.
What I tell people to do when they want one of my books in audio is to write the publisher. Get your friends and have them do the same. I tell them constantly, and they say they're working on it, but it's slow. I do know Lonely Hearts just got sold, but Insatiable doesn't want Carry the Ocean because it's not erotic enough. There's talk of Samhain doing it themselves, but that's it so far.
So email. Email often, and get everyone you know who wants it to do the same.
As for all my self published titles, I'm putting them into audio as quickly as I can. Nowhere Ranch is pending, and Dance With Me will happen later this year.
Heidi Cullinan
Yep, David is next. It wasn't going to be a series, but then David showed up and wrecked everything. I suspect he's related to Randy and Walter, because they did the same thing.
Heidi Cullinan
Yes, they're very much on my list. I want to re-edit them first, and of course they need new covers, but all that takes both time and money. I re-released Nowhere Ranch and will soon do the same treatment to Dance With Me because they'll make more money faster and will allow me finances enough to afford giving the fantasy/short works the same treatment. Sorry for the wait! I thought about putting them up for sale now as they are, but it feels disingenuous when I know I'll be editing them.
Heidi Cullinan
I haven't had trouble personally, no. I would say a good 40-50% of my readers are men, and they're the ones more likely to email me and say thank you for writing. The gay men I know personally who read my work turn their head a lot when they look at me after the first book. "How do you KNOW?" is a question I get a lot. I don't really have an answer for it. I think it's actually more them trying to process this nice lady they knew from UU or school functions or who they see at the grocery store, who also writes erotic gay sex. I think it's weirder to know me in person. They walk around me like they're trying to see where that woman seeps out.
Mostly these are the characters who talk to me. I don't know why. Though starting next year it will be less just gay and more LGBT the whole alphabet. Which maybe will be even weirder for my local friends, IDK.
Mostly these are the characters who talk to me. I don't know why. Though starting next year it will be less just gay and more LGBT the whole alphabet. Which maybe will be even weirder for my local friends, IDK.
Heidi Cullinan
Thank you for your kind words about my work. As far as how long to complete a novel? Oh, it depends. Bare minimum three months, sometimes as much as a year. Often I start concepts months before I actually put down words, especially in series books. Because I sell so much on spec, it's not uncommon for me to write the first third of a book, sell it, then table it until the deadline is closer. Part of my problem is I write such long books. Not only does that take longer, but they're more complicated so there's a lot of time spent making sure everything makes sense.
Heidi Cullinan
Yes there will. Lonely Hearts, out in August of 2015. Editing it now, in fact, and the cover is in draft and available soon.
Heidi Cullinan
I'm actually writing this story right now! Winter Wonderland has been sold to Samhain and will be out Christmas 2015.
PS-I have a friend in St. Peter. Lovely area!
PS-I have a friend in St. Peter. Lovely area!
Heidi Cullinan
Ah, this is because I switched around my youtube accounts and they all got triggered. I'll try to sort this out. Sorry!
Though I'll have to redo it because the cover is about to change is the book is leaving Loose Id and moving to Samhain.
Though I'll have to redo it because the cover is about to change is the book is leaving Loose Id and moving to Samhain.
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