1)
What is your writing routine?
I usually write
in the evenings while my daughter is at practice or doing her homework, and my
husband is catching up with the day’s sports on television. Despite the fact that, ordinarily, I am
a compulsive multi-tasker, I focus exclusively on what I write during that
time. I write in silence with no
distractions. I can’t even listen
to music while I write. I channel
the story as if transcribing a movie in my head. My research is performed either before I start writing or
afterward as a confirmation of the accuracy of certain details. When finished for the evening, I’ll
fill in my timeline with what transpired in the novel during the writing
session.
2)
Which author/s inspire you to write?
I started to
write as a child. I read the Star Wars books (and saw the movies) and
was amazed at the fact that George Lucas created his own universe with its own
rules. I wanted to do that. I continued to write short stories for
fun and shared them with co-workers from time-to-time, never intending to publish. Once I had my daughter, I got out of
the legal profession and found a career that allowed for a better work-life
balance and more time to write. In
2008-09, I wrote my first full-length novel, Away from the Spotlight.
My friends and family loved it, but I still did nothing with it. Over the past year, I have read a lot
of Indie Authors like Tracey Garvis-Graves, Colleen Hoover, Jamie McGuire and
S.C. Stephens, among many others.
Their wonderful (then) self-published novels inspired me to publish
mine.
3)
Which is your favorite romance subgenre to read? To write?
My favorite
romance subgenre to read is contemporary romance. I like to think that what is written on the page could
actually happen. While I do like
and have read a significant amount of paranormal romance, romantic suspense and
historical romance, it is a little harder for me to identify with the
heroine. Of course, it could be
that I just don’t have any desire to be in any danger or live without modern
conveniences. Notwithstanding, I do
have a paranormal romance novel and a historical romance novel in the works
because the stories in my head were intriguing. The paranormal romance deals with witches and warlocks at a
college campus, and the historical romance is set in the Scottish Borders in
the 16th Century and is based upon my knowledge of my ancestry. I also have three other novels in the
works in my preferred contemporary romance subgenre: two involving musicians (I am a music fanatic) and one
involving a relationship between two spouses of alcoholics in disintegrating
marriages (it is not as depressing as it sounds) who met while one was on
holiday.
4)
How do you deal with criticism/rejection?
Everyone has the
right to their opinion. We all
have different tastes. If someone
doesn’t like what I wrote, fair enough.
If someone has constructive criticism, that’s okay too. I’ll learn from it. I was told that I could have fleshed
out a few of my minor characters a little better in Away from the Spotlight.
I am taking that constructive criticism to heart in my next novel.
That said, I
don’t think I’d enjoy personal attacks, but I’d try to wax philosophical about
it, recognizing that it is always a possibility when you put yourself out
there. In any event, my skin is
fairly thick after years as a litigator.
5)
What do you expect from an editor?
Although my novel
was self-published, there was no way I would publish anything without a second
set of eyes looking at it first in extreme detail. I expected that my editor would look at the manuscript from
both form and substance perspectives.
With respect to the form, my editor checked vocabulary, spelling,
grammar and punctuation. I called
her the “Verb Tense Police” because I made a few errors in that regard. I also like to capitalize common nouns
on occasion (often, actually).
With respect to the substance, she suggested that I flesh out a few
things that I previously handled in a more summary fashion.
6)
Tell me about your latest release.
Away from the Spotlight
details the romance between graduating law student, Shannon Sutherland, and
English actor, Will MacKenzie. When
they meet, Shannon doesn’t know who Will is and Will takes great pains to keep
it that way for a while. Once
Shannon learns the truth, Shannon is swept up in both the glamour and the
drawbacks of Will’s fame. At the
same time, Shannon has her own busy life to lead in graduating from law school,
studying for the California Bar Exam, traveling with a friend through the U.K.
and Europe after the Bar Exam, and commencing her legal career. Further complicating things, Shannon’s
co-worker and former crush becomes single and actively campaigns for Shannon’s
affections. Will the pressures of
their careers and the temptations of others drive Will and Shannon apart? Can Will and Shannon live a happy life
away from the spotlight? You’ll
have to read the book to find out.
7)
Tease us with a blurb or short excerpt.
“I met
someone. His name is Will. He’s English, I think.”
“That would be
different for you.”
She wasn’t wrong. I had very casually dated a number of
men I had met in the various pubs in Santa Monica. They were from all over Europe, but not one of them had been
English for some reason. There
were Scottish, Irish and Welsh men among them, but never English. I had commented on occasion on the fact
that I never seemed to meet English men at the English pubs I frequented.
“I’m going to see him
again tomorrow night.”
“What’s he like?”
“Drop-dead gorgeous,
smart, funny and with excellent taste in music. Just my type.
Well, better than my type, actually. It’s hard to believe someone that perfect has any interest
in me.”
“Please” Rachael said.
“You get hit on every time we go out.”
“That’s overstating
things quite a bit.”
“You seem oblivious to
it half the time.”
I guess I did ignore
some of it. When you spend time as
part of a female minority in bars full of drunk men, it was hard not to think
that some of them would have hit on me for no other reason than that I was
female, regardless of how I acted, what I said, or what I looked like. I therefore learned that getting hit on
wasn’t necessarily a compliment and, the later it happened in the evening, the
less of a compliment it was.
8)
Which is your favorite character in the book? Why?
My favorite
character in Away from the Spotlight
is actor, Will MacKenzie. I wrote
about an actor because, around the time that the Twilight movie was released and for quite a while afterward, I
couldn’t open my internet browser without seeing, front and center, some story
about one of the actors or actresses in that movie. Every detail of their lives, real or rumored, was
published. I wondered how they
would date and ever know whether a person liked them or the perks and publicity
of being associated with them.
With that premise in mind, I created a hero who initially struggled with
fame and subsequently tried, to the extent possible, to live a normal
life. Since Will MacKenzie largely
enjoyed a normal, grounded life, he was a genuinely good guy rather than the
narcissist some famous people appear to become. I fell in love with him just like Shannon Sutherland did in
the story.
9) What are you working on right now?
I have five
novels in various stages of development:
a paranormal romance that takes place on a college campus, two
contemporary romances involving musicians, a historical romance set in 16th
century Scotland, and a contemporary romance involving the relationship between
two people in disintegrating marriages with alcoholic spouses who meet when one
of them is on vacation in Scotland.
10) Your biggest piece of advice to aspiring
novelists?
I’m convinced
that the secret to life is confidence.
If you think you can do it, you can (and everyone else will think you
can too). Do whatever you need to
do to get published whether via a publishing house or via self-publishing. If you self-publish, though, pay close
attention to the detail relating to the form of the novel. Ensure that the voice of the narrator
is appropriate; idioms suitable for the characters are used; the vocabulary,
spelling, grammar and punctuation are correct; and the book is properly
formatted for e-publishing. While
I am not an advocate of form over substance, a lack of attention to the form of
the novel can cause the reader to give up on the novel.
11) Where can readers find you?
Away from the Spotlight is
available in e-book format at:
Barnes &
Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/away-from-the-spotlight-tamara-carlisle/1111527163?ean=2940014783132
More information
can be found at:
My Author
Website:
http://www.tamaracarlisle.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tamara_Carlisle
LibraryThing: http://www.librarything.com/author/carlisletamara
Away From the Spotlight
by Tamara Carlisle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
In the closing weeks of law school, Shannon Sutherland meets
handsome and charming Englishman Will MacKenzie. Initially swept off her feet,
Shannon finds that Will has a secret that, once discovered and the consequences
realized, could destroy their fledgling relationship. Will and Shannon take
great pains to have a normal relationship but, ultimately, find it impossible
to do so. Will the pressures of their careers and the temptations of others
drive Will and Shannon apart? Can Will and Shannon live a happy life away from
the spotlight?
AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
Tamara Carlisle is a former attorney and business consultant. Away from the Spotlight is her first
published work of fiction. She
currently is working on two additional novels: one is about love in the music industry and the other is a
work of paranormal fiction. Tamara
currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her British husband and
daughter. For further information,
go to http://www.tamaracarlisle.com.
Tamara will be awarding two $25
Amazon GCs to randomly drawn commenters during the tour.
Follow the tour and
comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour
dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/08/virtual-book-tour-away-from-spotlight.html
Thank you for hosting Tamara today.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rachel, for having me here today. I look forward to checking in and chatting.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview, I enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteKit3247(at)aol(dot)com
Confidence is a great thing--congrats on the release!
ReplyDeletevitajex(at)aol(dot)com
Thank you, Ingeborg and Vitajex, for joining us this morning. I'm glad you liked the post. Confidence truly is the secret to life - I tell my daughter that all the time. When I first started practicing law, one of the senior partners had a gilded sign on his desk that read, "It can be done."
ReplyDeleteI really loved the interview. this story sounds really good, and the characters are very likeable from the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like it, MomJane. Thanks for joining us this morning (it's morning in California anyway).
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you used an editor. Too many self-published authors skimp by not getting professional editing. As a reader, nothing will cause me to put down a book faster than errors in spelling, grammar, verb tense shifts (etc.). I think this is one of the things that causes readers not to buy self-published titles--the general perception that the quality is poor.
ReplyDeletecatherinelee100 at gmail dot com
Catherine, I can't promise perfection, but we tried. It's a shame if readers avoid self-published authors. My favorite books of late have all been self-published.
ReplyDeleteThank you again for hosting me today, Rachel! I've had fun. I look forward to following your blog.
ReplyDeleteI love reading books by self-published authors. I have found some amazing books.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing
kybunnies(at)gmail(dot)com
I wonder how you juggle 5 pieces of work? I do imagine them at various stages though.
ReplyDeletemarypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Susie, you and me both. Mary, it is hard to focus on all five. I primarily bounce between two of them, but enjoy them all equally. Thank you both for joining us.
ReplyDelete