Your books have been praised for their fast-paced plots. What’s your process for maintaining such a dynamic storyline? I feel like my brain is running a million miles all the time. My editors are constantly reminding me to slow down and tell the story. Believe it or not, my fast-paced plots are actually the slowed down versions.
As an Amazon bestselling author, what has been the most surprising or rewarding aspect of your success? The mere fact I’m a published author is wild to me. I find the most rewarding aspects of being part of the Tule family and the larger romance writing community is being surrounded by fierce, bad-ass women who are articulate, generous, and empowering. I always talk about my publishing fairies who helped me along the way, and I’m usually on the hunt for ways I can pay it forward too. Rarely, have I had a job where my co-workers were constantly rooting for one anothers so consistently.
You mention working at a standing desk while fending off feline invaders. How do your cats influence your writing routine or creativity? I only talk about my cats but I have dogs too, but they are more patient. I’m grateful for my furry friends because they keep me company, encourage me to take walks where I work out a lot of story and character questions in my head, and keep me humble because they don’t care about me at all.
Yoga seems to be a big part of your life. How does your practice impact your writing? I have a tendency to work too much which cycles into inevitable burnout. Yoga keeps me limber, reminds me to breathe, but most of all, practicing yoga for many years has taught me to put myself in someone else’s shoes. Crucial for writing fiction!
Working at a local library must provide a unique perspective. How does shelving books inspire or inform your own storytelling? Like most authors, I’ve had my nose in a book for as long as I can remember. It’s inspiring the amount of stories that are being told. But I’m being super honest, working in a library gave me the push to publish because not every book is amazing. What I mean is, I could write a mediocre book and it might end up on a shelf somewhere because I’ve shelved plenty.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors who want to achieve a similar level of success in the literary world? There’s only one way to make it and that’s to finish writing the damn book.
Can you tell us about a moment when you felt particularly proud or excited about a reader’s response to one of your books? Truthfully, my favorite comments are from the production team in my track changes. They read so many books for work and enjoyment, it makes me feel good to stand out. I love comments where despite having read my manuscripts only slightly fewer times than I did and they are still surprised. “I screamed!” is a standout favorite for me.
You’re active on social media as @fortunewhelan. How do you engage with your readers online, and what role does social media play in your career? I’m not great at engaging anyone online. I love talking to readers in person. At the library, I facilitate book clubs, give in-person presentations for best practices, that sort of thing. Just an old social person.
What can fans expect from you next? Are there any upcoming projects or new releases on the horizon? I have some extra Tule-cular releases on the horizon. As for in-house activities, I’m working on continuing my Dorseys of Conception Bay series.
What is one book that you consider to be your comfort read that you will always reach for? Non-fiction. I’m a sucker for a good memoir. I do re-read Stephen King’s On Writing fairly often and if I don’t know what to read, I’ll pick up a Stephen King book.
