Today I am interviewing historical romance author Liz Arnold!!

Good morning and welcome to my blog, Liz! I am so happy to have an historical romance author here because this is a genre I am still learning so much about. I can't wait to learn more about you and your writing.

Liz Arnold is a new romance author who’s been writing poetry and non-fiction for over 20 years. Her first novel is MESSAGE TO LOVE from The Wild Rose Press.

1) Did you set any goals for 2010?
I’m a very goal oriented person. I write a goal list five days a week and check it off as the day rolls along. I consider it a great day no matter what happened if everything on the list is checked off.
My 2010 goals include continuing to work on my next historical romance and get a good enough chunk done that it can be submitted.

2) What is the best part of the writing process for you?
Writing is an obsession for me. When I was ten years-old I declared that I would publish a book about history. A short time later I wrote the fifth grade play for our class and it was a western romance. I have never looked back just kept writing and publishing. The best part of writing for me is the words. I’m a word freak. I love words.

3) The worst part?
The worst part about writing is that I can’t get enough of it.

4) What is the book you wish you’d written?
The Wizard of Oz

5) Favourite author/s & book/s?
I’m a big fan of Connie Mason books from the 80’s and 90’s. Everything she wrote is an inspiration as far as the romance, the settings, and the true love. I don’t envy her, I love and respect her work.

6) Tell us about your latest release?
MESSAGE TO LOVE began as a very vivid dream one night. It stuck with me for days and I was compelled to write it down. When I did, I knew it was a historical romance. There was a man on horseback trying to deliver a message he had strapped in a leather pouch across his chest and there was a woman who helped him escape jail so he could deliver the message.

After some research, I hit upon an event called “The Message To Garcia” from the Spanish-American War in 1898. President McKinley sent a secret message via military messenger to General Calixto Garcia, head of the insurgent forces in Cuba fighting for independence from Spain.

In my story Audra Wakely is a young American whose father has been imprisoned by the Spanish authorities in Santiago de Cuba for allegedly helping the insurgents. Lt. Rollins McBride is a member of the newly formed U.S. Naval Intelligence and he has been told to arrest Audra’s father for treason because the government thinks he has been helping the Spanish. He latches onto Audra in order to find her father and she tries everything she can to lose him, but falls in love with him instead.

7) Tease us with a blurb/short except
“It was a dream, just a very bad dream.”
She stepped back out of his hold. Clammy spots of moist heat lingered on her arms where his hands had been.
“I’m all right now.” Audra reached for the door and noticed the sickly sweet odor of liquor on his breath. “You can leave now. I want to go back to bed.” She pulled open the door and gestured into the hall.
“Sorry, but this time you’re going, too.” Rollins strode over to the dresser and pulled out a drawer. “Better pack. We have just under two hours.”
“I’m not in the mood for comedy Rollins,” she sighed. “I’m really very, very tired. I’ve got to get some rest. Now—“
“Let me make myself clear.” He sounded gruff. “I said we’re leaving, and unless you want to get on a ship bound for Santiago with your shirttails hanging out, better change and get ready.” He made to leave the room. “I hope you have a shawl or something. It’s gotten cooler out, and we have half an hour in a wagon to get to port.” Then he vanished into his own room next door, leaving Audra gape-mouthed in the hallway.
“Who does he think he is?” She growled as she stamped her foot against the cold hard floor. “Infuriating! He is absolutely infuriating!” Audra heaved the door shut with gusto. “These are not my shirttails, either!”

8) What is your favourite attribute of the hero and heroine?
I love that Audra is an independent woman who has a plan. It’s not always the best plan but it’s a plan. And I love that Rollins is a good man who is strong enough to know when he’s whipped and enjoy it!

9) What’s next?
Next on the agenda is a historical romance set in Marietta, Ohio in 1790 when the U.S. government established the Northwest Territory. Rebecca Pennington is a smart young woman who wants to be a doctor but the establishment in Baltimore won’t allow her to practice so she follows her parents to Marietta to discover when she arrives that her little sister has been kidnapped by raiding Indians.

On the journey she must join a transport in Pittsburgh and meets Romney Applewood who has spent ten years as a young boy as a captive of the Delaware Indians in Ohio. He’s willing to be Rebecca’s guide to Marietta because he has a vendetta to settle with a certain Shawnee brave who mistreated his little sister while she was a captive.

He doesn’t want to return to the Ohio Valley because there is a price on his head. He killed two Shawnee and two French traders while rescuing his sister. They want his scalp, but he can’t resist the smart, pretty, determined Rebecca. She has no idea how dangerous the Ohio frontier is or how much danger she’s in of falling in love with Romney, the white man the Indians call Dark Moon Walker.

10) Tell me where you write?
At a great desk on a pc and sometimes on my laptop at Panera when I can get away.

11) Where would you like your career to be in 5 years?
Profitable.

12) Where can we find you?
MESSAGE TO LOVE is available at www.thewildrosepress.com and the regular online book sellers.
My new blog is up at www.lizarnoldbooks.wordpress.com. Please visit soon! I give away reader’s packages once a month!
My email is lizarnoldromance@yahoo.com. THANKS FOR HAVING ME VISIT YOUR BLOG!


Liz Arnold
“Stories you will love.”
lizarnoldromance@yahoo.com

www.lizarnoldbooks.wordpress.com

Thanks so much for being here today, a fellow Wild Rose author is always a pleasure to host. I loved your excerpt and even your next books sounds right up my street. Huge luck with sales! Now over to you, Liz is waiting for your comments...