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you like to read romance novels? Wouldn't you like to know more about
your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the
writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and
tell all... About our
writing of course! Every week we'll answer questions and after you've
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. . .
Welcome to my wee slice of Romance Weekly. Here are my responses to this week's jackpot questions:Who is your favorite author in your genre and why?
This one's a bit tricky because it's hard to say which genre it is I write in. I usually say my books are contemporary Scottish paranormal romances, but they also incorporate elements of urban fantasy, high fantasy, horror, and erotic romance. Still, I'd have to say my hands-down favorite is Diana Gabaldon. Not just in my genre but among all genres. Her books transport me to another time and world, make me feel her characters deeply enough to cheer and cry for them, and the poetry of her prose makes me green with envy. What can I say? She's enormously gifted. Why else would I have read all of her books in the Outlander series? Have you seen her books? They're enormous and I'm a slow reader who lives to savor every delicious word.
What is your favorite book by them and why?
Oh, this is a tough one. I loved them all for different reasons. Outlander, Voyager, Dragonfly in Amber, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, An Echo in the Bone. I loved Clare and Jamie's time in France with all the court intrigues while trying to stop Culloden from happening, loved their time on Fraser Ridge, loved their adventures in the American Revolution. Such amazing stuff, all. I guess, if forced to choose, I'd have to pick the first one: Outlander. Two fellow writers recommended that I read it and, when I finally did, I was hooked from the very first sentence.
What about their style inspires your writing?
What doesn't? I feel her writing raises her romances to the level of literature. I work hard at improving my writing and making it beautiful, but I certainly wouldn't categorize it as literary. Though, two reviewers of my forthcoming book (The Queen of Swords, my debut novel, is out in just four more days!) have called the writing "beautiful," "lyrical," and "as fluid as honey." That's not bad, right? I've always been my own worst critic and probably always will be. Diana writes pages and pages of gorgeous descriptive prose and my editors tell me to cut mine because people just skim over it. Really? What a shame. I love gorgeous writing that sets a scene, but try not to go overboard and bore the reader.
Okay. That's my monologue for this week. Let's go see who inspires Katie O'Connor and all the other talented writers in our weekly circle.
