I'm visiting Norah Bennet today
here's the link to see it on her blogsite.
http://www.norahbennett.com/blog/auth...
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING PROFESSIONALLY?
Since 2014.
WHAT GENRE DO YOU WRITE?
Contemporary Romance, but I am dipping my writing fingers (and toes!) into Romantic Suspense.
IF YOU COULD GIVE NEW WRITERS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I love this question. If you are a new writer and are consumed with the need to get words down on the page, or just have to write down the stories drifting around in your brain, then, like NIKE says, JUST DO IT!! Don’t give up. Don’t listen to naysayers, critics, or people who don’t believe in you. Just keep writing. I heard Nora Roberts once equate writing with a muscle. If you don’t pay attention to it, exercise it constantly, you start to loose tone, mass, and strength. I think that’s very profound!
IF YOU COULD RECOMMEND ONE BOOK FOR ALL WRITERS TO READ WHAT WOULD IT BE?
This may just be the hardest question I’ve ever been asked, because there are so many great reference and tool books out there. I guess the best book for any writer – whether pro or not, is, THE BLUE BOOK OF GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION. Writers need to write WELL! This book teaches you how to avoid common pitfalls that will send an editor or literary agent to toss your work into the delete pile.
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH REJECTIONS FROM PUBLISHERS AND EDITORS?
Badly. I usually have a Pepperidge Farm Layer cake and a bottle of soda after I get one. Then I go walk for two hours to burn all those wasted calories off! And then…I just get back to writing.
MANY WRITERS ALSO WORK OTHER JOBS, DO YOU?
I’m living my dream. I retired in 2015 and have been able to write full time since then. Please don’t hate me!!
HOW DO YOU MAKE TIME TO WRITE?
I have a set goal of 2500 words per day. I have to get that done before I do anything else. When that count is achieved I then do the stuff I need to do: grocery shopping, laundry, exercise (see how I put that one last!) Then if I have any more time left over, I write again. I’m lucky to be retired, but my husband still works full time so he is gone all day, affording me the privacy to write.
WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO WRITE?
I write in an attic loft in my house that overlooks my property. This winter, though, I am refurbishing another room where I’m going to set myself up.
TELL US WHAT YOU LIKE TO READ AND WHO?
So of course, my all time favorite author is Nora Roberts and her twin sister JD Robb. Any of the JD Robb IN DEATH books are fabulous, but if you haven’t read them then start with the first, NAKED IN DEATH.
Jill Shalvis is always a winner in my house, and her LUCKY HARBOR books and her newest series HEARTBREAKER BAY are wonderful.
WHAT OR WHO INSPIRES YOU TO WRITE?
Really, it’s just something I’ve always loved doing. I read at a very young age – I finished all the kids books in the local library by the time I was 7. The librarian was a little leery about letting me read the older, teen books at that time, but I did it anyway! I think when you love reading as much as I did—and do—you just kind of naturally fall into wanting to be a writer. At least that’s how it worked for me. And since I LOVELOVELOVE to read romance, that’s what I write. My website tagline is WRITING IS MY OXYGEN. Can’t say it any plainer than that.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SNACK WHEN YOU WRITE?
Oh, God!! What isn’t???! Hahahaha.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR WRITING HABITS. WHEN DO YOU WRITE, HOW OFTEN? GIVE ADVICE TO NEW WRITERS ON HOW TO ORGANIZE THEIR DAY AND WRITING HABITS.
Again, I’m a lucky one because I get to write full time. But like I said above, I write 2500 words, 5 days per week, before I do anything else. I suffer from chronic insomnia, so most of those words are usually written between the hours of 3 am and noon. After that, I do the life stuff. Many afternoons I plot out my books, or make my vision boards for each story I’m doing. Pinterest has been a God-send for this.
Most writers also have a day job. So if you do, the best thing to do is find that one hour or two a day that is just yours. Write when you get up before you go to work. Or if you get home before your spouse/children/significant other, type a few pages. If you can spend an hour watching the mindless junk on television these days, you can devote an hour to your writing by eliminating that tv hour. And just think how much happier you will be!
DO YOU HAVE A GREAT WEBSITE, SOFTWARE, BOOKS…SECRETS THAT HELP YOU WITH YOUR WRITING?I have a full library of REAL books I use for reference/secrets. I’m not a mean girl though, so I’ll share!
THINKING LIKE A ROMANCE WRITER by Dahlia Evans
MASTER LISTS FOR WRITERS by Bryn Donovan
THE ROMANCE WRITERS’ PHRASE BOOK by Jean Kent and Candace Shelton
THE EMOTION THESAURUS by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi
THE WRITER’S GUIDE TO CHARACTER EMOTION by Sherry Soule
NAUGHTY WORDS FOR NICE WRITERS by Cara Bristol
And the above mentioned Grammar Blue book
DO YOU HAVE A MENTOR? HOW DO THEY AFFECT YOUR WRITING?
I do not.
WHAT'S THE FIRST BOOK YOU HAVE WRITTEN?
SKATER’S WALTZ published by The Wild Rose Press in 2015
Wild Rose Press: http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/a...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Skaters-Waltz-...
HOW MANY BOOKS HAVE YOU WRITTEN?
To date, 39. 6 have been published, 3 more are due out next year. The other 30 are just too horrible to let the book buying public read!!!
WHICH BOOK DID YOU ENJOY WRITING THE MOST?
That’s like asking which child is your favorite!! The book I have coming out this November, A KISS UNDER THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, I wrote in 2 week and laughed the whole time I was writing it, so I guess that was the most enjoyable writing experience.
WHICH WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT?
The next one….
TELL US ALL ABOUT YOUR WIP.
A KISS UNDER THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS is a mistaken identity story. My heroine, Gia, thinks the hero, Tim is something he’s not. I won’t spoil the plotline with telling you what she thinks he is, but believe me, you’ll think the same thing as Gia until all is revealed.
This story was a complete labor of love for me because it is the sequel to my 2016 Candy Hearts Romance, 3 WISHES. That book told Chloe’s story, and this one tells her younger sisters’, Gia’s. I LOVELOVELOVE this family, the San Valentinos. They are a large, loud, and loving Italian/American clan who live big, and love bigger.
OPEN COMMENT: TELL YOUR FELLOW AUTHORS, NEW AUTHORS, AND INTERESTED READERS ANYTHING YOU WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT I DIDN’T ASK YOU.
Wow! This could be a loaded question! I’m taking this directly from my website – the 10 things you need to know about me:
10. My favorite book is THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD
9. I lovelovelove scary movies — the scarier, the better.
8. My favorite movie is The Wizard of Oz, because there really is no place like home.
7. My left eye is smaller than my right eye.
6. The best decision I ever made was to marry my husband — a man who can’t live without a strong woman!
5. The best gift I ever received was my daughter, who’s now 27 but whom I will always refer to as “my baby”.
4.My favorite song is Secret Agent Man by Jonny Rivers.
3. I’ve been on a diet in some form for the past 45 years.
2. I’m very direct and don’t suffer fools, false prophets, or suck ups.
1. Writing is my oxygen!
Norah- thank you so much for letting me visit with you and your readers today! I am so happy I met you at the NJRWA conference!!! You are, truly, a gifted writer and an amazeballs woman!
http://www.norahbennett.com/blog/auth...
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING PROFESSIONALLY?
Since 2014.
WHAT GENRE DO YOU WRITE?
Contemporary Romance, but I am dipping my writing fingers (and toes!) into Romantic Suspense.
IF YOU COULD GIVE NEW WRITERS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I love this question. If you are a new writer and are consumed with the need to get words down on the page, or just have to write down the stories drifting around in your brain, then, like NIKE says, JUST DO IT!! Don’t give up. Don’t listen to naysayers, critics, or people who don’t believe in you. Just keep writing. I heard Nora Roberts once equate writing with a muscle. If you don’t pay attention to it, exercise it constantly, you start to loose tone, mass, and strength. I think that’s very profound!
IF YOU COULD RECOMMEND ONE BOOK FOR ALL WRITERS TO READ WHAT WOULD IT BE?
This may just be the hardest question I’ve ever been asked, because there are so many great reference and tool books out there. I guess the best book for any writer – whether pro or not, is, THE BLUE BOOK OF GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION. Writers need to write WELL! This book teaches you how to avoid common pitfalls that will send an editor or literary agent to toss your work into the delete pile.
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH REJECTIONS FROM PUBLISHERS AND EDITORS?
Badly. I usually have a Pepperidge Farm Layer cake and a bottle of soda after I get one. Then I go walk for two hours to burn all those wasted calories off! And then…I just get back to writing.
MANY WRITERS ALSO WORK OTHER JOBS, DO YOU?
I’m living my dream. I retired in 2015 and have been able to write full time since then. Please don’t hate me!!
HOW DO YOU MAKE TIME TO WRITE?
I have a set goal of 2500 words per day. I have to get that done before I do anything else. When that count is achieved I then do the stuff I need to do: grocery shopping, laundry, exercise (see how I put that one last!) Then if I have any more time left over, I write again. I’m lucky to be retired, but my husband still works full time so he is gone all day, affording me the privacy to write.
WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO WRITE?
I write in an attic loft in my house that overlooks my property. This winter, though, I am refurbishing another room where I’m going to set myself up.
TELL US WHAT YOU LIKE TO READ AND WHO?
So of course, my all time favorite author is Nora Roberts and her twin sister JD Robb. Any of the JD Robb IN DEATH books are fabulous, but if you haven’t read them then start with the first, NAKED IN DEATH.
Jill Shalvis is always a winner in my house, and her LUCKY HARBOR books and her newest series HEARTBREAKER BAY are wonderful.
WHAT OR WHO INSPIRES YOU TO WRITE?
Really, it’s just something I’ve always loved doing. I read at a very young age – I finished all the kids books in the local library by the time I was 7. The librarian was a little leery about letting me read the older, teen books at that time, but I did it anyway! I think when you love reading as much as I did—and do—you just kind of naturally fall into wanting to be a writer. At least that’s how it worked for me. And since I LOVELOVELOVE to read romance, that’s what I write. My website tagline is WRITING IS MY OXYGEN. Can’t say it any plainer than that.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SNACK WHEN YOU WRITE?
Oh, God!! What isn’t???! Hahahaha.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR WRITING HABITS. WHEN DO YOU WRITE, HOW OFTEN? GIVE ADVICE TO NEW WRITERS ON HOW TO ORGANIZE THEIR DAY AND WRITING HABITS.
Again, I’m a lucky one because I get to write full time. But like I said above, I write 2500 words, 5 days per week, before I do anything else. I suffer from chronic insomnia, so most of those words are usually written between the hours of 3 am and noon. After that, I do the life stuff. Many afternoons I plot out my books, or make my vision boards for each story I’m doing. Pinterest has been a God-send for this.
Most writers also have a day job. So if you do, the best thing to do is find that one hour or two a day that is just yours. Write when you get up before you go to work. Or if you get home before your spouse/children/significant other, type a few pages. If you can spend an hour watching the mindless junk on television these days, you can devote an hour to your writing by eliminating that tv hour. And just think how much happier you will be!
DO YOU HAVE A GREAT WEBSITE, SOFTWARE, BOOKS…SECRETS THAT HELP YOU WITH YOUR WRITING?I have a full library of REAL books I use for reference/secrets. I’m not a mean girl though, so I’ll share!
THINKING LIKE A ROMANCE WRITER by Dahlia Evans
MASTER LISTS FOR WRITERS by Bryn Donovan
THE ROMANCE WRITERS’ PHRASE BOOK by Jean Kent and Candace Shelton
THE EMOTION THESAURUS by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi
THE WRITER’S GUIDE TO CHARACTER EMOTION by Sherry Soule
NAUGHTY WORDS FOR NICE WRITERS by Cara Bristol
And the above mentioned Grammar Blue book
DO YOU HAVE A MENTOR? HOW DO THEY AFFECT YOUR WRITING?
I do not.
WHAT'S THE FIRST BOOK YOU HAVE WRITTEN?
SKATER’S WALTZ published by The Wild Rose Press in 2015
Wild Rose Press: http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/a...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Skaters-Waltz-...
HOW MANY BOOKS HAVE YOU WRITTEN?
To date, 39. 6 have been published, 3 more are due out next year. The other 30 are just too horrible to let the book buying public read!!!
WHICH BOOK DID YOU ENJOY WRITING THE MOST?
That’s like asking which child is your favorite!! The book I have coming out this November, A KISS UNDER THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, I wrote in 2 week and laughed the whole time I was writing it, so I guess that was the most enjoyable writing experience.
WHICH WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT?
The next one….
TELL US ALL ABOUT YOUR WIP.
A KISS UNDER THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS is a mistaken identity story. My heroine, Gia, thinks the hero, Tim is something he’s not. I won’t spoil the plotline with telling you what she thinks he is, but believe me, you’ll think the same thing as Gia until all is revealed.
This story was a complete labor of love for me because it is the sequel to my 2016 Candy Hearts Romance, 3 WISHES. That book told Chloe’s story, and this one tells her younger sisters’, Gia’s. I LOVELOVELOVE this family, the San Valentinos. They are a large, loud, and loving Italian/American clan who live big, and love bigger.
OPEN COMMENT: TELL YOUR FELLOW AUTHORS, NEW AUTHORS, AND INTERESTED READERS ANYTHING YOU WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT I DIDN’T ASK YOU.
Wow! This could be a loaded question! I’m taking this directly from my website – the 10 things you need to know about me:
10. My favorite book is THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD
9. I lovelovelove scary movies — the scarier, the better.
8. My favorite movie is The Wizard of Oz, because there really is no place like home.
7. My left eye is smaller than my right eye.
6. The best decision I ever made was to marry my husband — a man who can’t live without a strong woman!
5. The best gift I ever received was my daughter, who’s now 27 but whom I will always refer to as “my baby”.
4.My favorite song is Secret Agent Man by Jonny Rivers.
3. I’ve been on a diet in some form for the past 45 years.
2. I’m very direct and don’t suffer fools, false prophets, or suck ups.
1. Writing is my oxygen!
Norah- thank you so much for letting me visit with you and your readers today! I am so happy I met you at the NJRWA conference!!! You are, truly, a gifted writer and an amazeballs woman!
No comments have been added yet.
