Eighteen, but due to rights reversions, I have only a fraction of those available now. As I have time, I will rewrite and submit the others.
How much research do you do?
For Tarnished Gold, I researched for six months. Other books take less or more time, depending on many factors.
Research always brings richness to a story and without it, no story is as well-rounded. When I answer the inspiration for a story, I srive to place my characters in the world as existed in the particular time period. I research clothing, hair styles, the affordability of life's pleasures, cars if appropriate, styles of furniture, availibility of fabrics in a given period, even what fabrics dressmakers used to cover button. Language is important, as I use slang and more formal language, depending upon the setting and the character.
Food is important, and varies in time periods as well as in class.
To gain an understanding of the period is to service the story and ultimately the readers. My goal is to place my readers in the setting, and research is only the start.
Will there be more books in the Tarnished series?
Yes indeed. I'm working on the rest of Frankie and Gent's story, along with Mac and Gray. Then a story about gossip columnists, the casting couch, the fixers at the studios, and maybe others.
Will you ever write more Romeo Club stories?
No. Romeo Club is retired.
Why do you write gay romance?
The answer is quite simple. I respect love. I believe love is love and shouldn't be legislated or judged. Though I don't share the same preferences, I have personal reasons for sharing stories that happen to have gay characters. I'm pleased when my readers like the stories, and I understand when my readers prefer my het titles. Tolerence comes in all forms.
How long did it take to write your first book and get it published?
I'm not being flippant when I say all my life. I've always read, but it took a birthday gift, Phillipa Gregory's The Other Bolelyn Girl, to introduce me to historical romance. I loved the intermingling of real people with fictional characters. That led to me reading hundreds of historical romance novels, from Lisa Kleypas to Mary Balogh and everyone in between. I took notes, tons of notes. One day, my husband, who know of my love of writing, asked me if I could write a novel.
Shortly after that, I plotted my first story, which turned out to be one that hasn't ever been published. It is 134k and filled with passive voice and other rookie writing horrors. After that came Demands of the Heart, which I've re-written and self-published.
Where do you get the inspiration for your stories?
No one place. I read a lot of history and many times, I find an obscure story that warrants further exploration.
For the Tarnished series, I employ my love of old Hollywood and my love of reading anything about Hollywood, as long as it involves anything pre-World War II. I suspect there will be six or seven books in the series. There's a lot of territory to cover.