You wrote your first romance novel at the age of ten. What was it about, and do you still have a copy of it? I did write my first romance novel at the age of ten, yes. I wrote it all in pencil in little gray composition notebooks that my mom, gracious woman that she was, kept in supply for me. I think it took up two whole notebooks (I wrote big and scrawly then. I’m still scrawly, but not so big now.) It was about my oldest sister, PJ, who was the most sophisticated person I knew at the time and one of the members of the band Herman’s Hermits. I had them going on dates and kissing! Sadly, the notebooks got tossed when my mom moved to California in 1976.
Balancing a career as a freelance copyeditor and proofreader with your passion for writing must be challenging. How do you manage your time between these roles? It is challenging and seems to get more so as I get older. I’ve learned that I must balance the time between writing and copy editing or I’ll focus all and one and suddenly realize I’ve left the other in the dust. So I get up every morning around six a.m. and write for two to three hours until Husband gets up for breakfast. We share that time together and then I’m back at my desk to, hopefully, write some more until I take a lunch break. After lunch, copy editor Nan kicks in and I work on whatever CE projects I have going. Seems like after noon, my creative brain needs a break, so the fixer brain can step in. It’s not a perfect system, but it seems to work for me most days.
What inspired you to focus on sweet, small-town romantic fiction, and what do you love most about writing in this genre? I’ve always loved reading sweet, small-town romance and the people in my head live in a small town, so I figured telling their stories would be best. I grew up in the city, so of course, what I didn’t know myself is what I wanted to write about. I love that I don’t have to write sex scenes—I’m not very good at those, so closed-door romance works best for me.
Can you share the story behind your first published novel with Tule Publishing? How did that partnership come about? I’d been wanting to get into a traditional pub and I hadn’t put up the last Women Of Willow Bay title yet, so on a whim, I submitted it to Tule, asking if they’d be interested in having the whole series. Meghan Farrell contacted me and said that they weren’t interested in the pre-published series, but they loved my writing and my voice and would I be interested in writing a new series for them? Would I??? Turned out I had already outlined a new series about four brothers who owned a winery in southern Indiana. I pitched it and they sent a contract for the first book, then they’d see about the rest of the series. They loved Conor and Samantha’s story (A Small Town Christmas) and loved Conor’s three brothers, so they signed on for the other three books in the Four Irish Brothers Winery series. I was so thrilled because to have Jane Porter interested in your writing is amazing and such an honor! Thirteen books in and five more to come and Tule and I have been going along together in River’s Edge ever since. I hope we can stay there a long time!
How has your writing style or approach changed from when you first started to now, as a ‘wiser, slightly rumpled, woman in your prime’? I think more than anything, I’ve learned to be a better writer—I hope I continue to learn and grow as a writer. When I started out, I didn’t know anything about head-hopping or POV or info dumps or backstory. I just wrote. When an editor got a hold of my first manuscript, it was a slash and burn. But, man, what a learning experience. Now, I have the amazing Sinclair Sawhney as my DE and she teaches me so much with every single book. And I bring my own life experiences to my stories…don’t we all? Aging is not easy, but experience is the gift.
Living in the Midwest and splitting your time between the city and a lake cottage sounds idyllic. How do these settings influence your writing? I’m a water baby—always have been, so lakes, rivers, oceans always play a part in my stories. I love the Midwest, even the city, because people are pretty much kind and down to earth. I try to bring that to my stories that happen in River’s Edge. We do have fun in the summer switching between the lake house and the city house, although to tell the truth, I sometimes forget which kitchen I’m in and I have to stop and think where the potholders are or whether I need butter at the lake or at the city house. That could be aging, too…but let’s go with the whole two houses thing, okay?
What does it mean to you to be a USA Today bestselling author, and how has that recognition impacted your career? Honestly, it was the thrill of a lifetime to show up on the USA Today bestseller list, and I get the same thrill when my books hit an Amazon or B&N bestseller list. It means people are reading or at least planning on reading my books, and that is the real thrill. I think, in a way, the USA Today thing gives me some street cred—people who diss romance can’t really diss that bestseller list because there are not just romance novels on it. I confess making a list like that one makes me feel pretty accomplished, and I like it when people are impressed. Hell, I’m impressed. ;-)
Can you describe a typical writing day for you? Do you write more in the city or at your lake cottage? My writing day is the same whether I’m in the city or at the lake. I get up at 6 a.m. and I write for a couple of hours, sometimes longer if I’m in the groove. When Husband gets up, I take a break for breakfast and then maybe write some more or get caught up on emails, social media stuff, blogging, or promo. After lunch, I put on my copy editor hat and get to work on whatever editing gigs I have going. I can usually run a couple concurrently if I stay focused. I love my day job and even though I thought I would retire at 70, so far, that’s not happening.
With a marriage spanning 50 years, how have your personal experiences influenced the relationships and love stories you create in your books? We actually just celebrated 51 years in June. It’s funny, I know how to write love that lasts, but I sometimes have to depend on other resources for dating stuff. I met Husband when I was 17 and never dated anyone else again. So, I have no experience at all dating as an adult in the 21st century. I depend on film and TV and books and my younger friends for dating stuff. I think if you’ve loved and been well-loved, that’s something that you can bring to your writing, no matter what your experience.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors who are struggling to find their unique voice in the crowded romance genre? I would say to read, read, read to discover what kind of romance you love and then stick to that genre as you get started. Watch films, watch TV shows that interest you, fill up with what you love. Then write what makes you happy. Sweet small-town romance makes me happy. Inventing a fictional town where I get to say what happens, when and how and where, makes me happy. Creating characters who are people I would love to know and spend time with makes me happy. Don’t try to imitate anyone else’s voice—you’ll only end up frustrated and hiding your own creative light. And write, write, write. Don’t wait for a muse to suddenly appear—they rarely do—just write. You can fix it later, but get the story down. Needless to say, I’m a strong believer in editors—everyone needs an editor, both a story editor, who will you develop your story and copy editor, who will clean it up and make it the very best it can be. But first, you have to write, write, write. My stories always start with, What if? It’s a good question to begin any writing.
BONUS: What is one book that you would consider to be your comfort read that you will always reach for? I reach for Liz Flaherty’s One More Summer as a comfort read or if I need a good cry. A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable if I want to dream about Paris and enjoy a great intriguing story. Gene Stratton-Porter’s The Harvester if I need a step back to my childhood and to remember what a true romantic hero is. I am a person who re-reads and what I go back to depends a lot on my mood.
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