Today I welcome Elaine Charton to my blog for Authorsday.
Elaine and I have known each other for a number of years. We've worked on more than one conference together before she moved to Arizona from NJ. Let's hear what Elaine has to say.
1. How long have you been writing?
Seriously writing since 1990, I was taking an English class that was actually a creative writing class. The professor taught me to listen to those voices that had been talking to me for so long.
2. How did you pick the genre you write in?
I love stories with Happy Ever After. I looked at all the books in my favorite shelf and no matter what the genre there was almost always a happy ending. I started writing straight romance but dead bodies kept popping up. I finally listened to my muse and started writing Romantic Suspense.
3. Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?
I think I’m a little bit of both. I usually start with characters and a scene and build the book from there. I may make a list of scenes and characters and I usually know the ending. I just need for the characters to tell me all the stuff in the middle.
4. What was the best writing advice someone gave you?
I’ve been blessed in my career to have received advice from some of the best writers I know. Other than “don’t quit your day job”. My favorite piece of advice was given to me right after a friend had sold her first book and I was still collecting rejection letters. She told me, “You have to decide that the only way the publishing world is getting rid of you is with an Uzi.” In other words make up your mind this is what you want and don’t let anything get in your way. My husband calls it stubbornness; I like to think of it as the “Celtic Factor”
5. If you have a day job, what is it?
Customer Service for a company that handles workers compensation claims. I take calls from hospitals and doctors offices on workers compensation claims. My boss and my coworkers think it is very cool to have an author working with them. I warn them not to upset me, they may end up in one of my books, as a dead body. J Working full time, I’ve learned to write in short bursts whenever I can.
6. Describe your book.
PANDORA’S JUSTICE is the second in the series Pandora’s Justice is a true book of my heart. I’ve received wonderful reviews on Pandora’s Justice.
The series is about three friends and the things they have to go through before finding their own happily ever after. The first book is EZ Lovin, which was out last year and later this year Mac’s Man should be available as well. Both EZ Lovin and Pandora’s Justice are available in print, ebook and kindle fromSwimming Kangaroo.com, amazon.com and most major book sites.
7. What do you consider your strengths in terms of your writing?
Definitely, my characters, they are what come to me first and I build the story around them. I’m a visual person so it helps me to have a picture of each of the main characters available while I work with them.
8. What place that you haven’t visited would you like to go?
So many I couldn’t list them all here, Top three would be Paris, Rome and China. My husband can speak Mandarian, on of the Chinese dialects, so I think we would have fun.
9. What’s your favorite thing about your book?
It still makes me cry, even now. But it’s good tears.
10. Who is your greatest cheerleader?
Without a doubt, my husband, and his mother. When EZ first came out she went on Amazon ordered a bunch of copies and gave them to all her friends
Seriously writing since 1990, I was taking an English class that was actually a creative writing class. The professor taught me to listen to those voices that had been talking to me for so long.
2. How did you pick the genre you write in?
I love stories with Happy Ever After. I looked at all the books in my favorite shelf and no matter what the genre there was almost always a happy ending. I started writing straight romance but dead bodies kept popping up. I finally listened to my muse and started writing Romantic Suspense.
3. Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?
I think I’m a little bit of both. I usually start with characters and a scene and build the book from there. I may make a list of scenes and characters and I usually know the ending. I just need for the characters to tell me all the stuff in the middle.
4. What was the best writing advice someone gave you?
I’ve been blessed in my career to have received advice from some of the best writers I know. Other than “don’t quit your day job”. My favorite piece of advice was given to me right after a friend had sold her first book and I was still collecting rejection letters. She told me, “You have to decide that the only way the publishing world is getting rid of you is with an Uzi.” In other words make up your mind this is what you want and don’t let anything get in your way. My husband calls it stubbornness; I like to think of it as the “Celtic Factor”
5. If you have a day job, what is it?
Customer Service for a company that handles workers compensation claims. I take calls from hospitals and doctors offices on workers compensation claims. My boss and my coworkers think it is very cool to have an author working with them. I warn them not to upset me, they may end up in one of my books, as a dead body. J Working full time, I’ve learned to write in short bursts whenever I can.
6. Describe your book.
PANDORA’S JUSTICE is the second in the series Pandora’s Justice is a true book of my heart. I’ve received wonderful reviews on Pandora’s Justice.
The series is about three friends and the things they have to go through before finding their own happily ever after. The first book is EZ Lovin, which was out last year and later this year Mac’s Man should be available as well. Both EZ Lovin and Pandora’s Justice are available in print, ebook and kindle fromSwimming Kangaroo.com, amazon.com and most major book sites.
7. What do you consider your strengths in terms of your writing?
Definitely, my characters, they are what come to me first and I build the story around them. I’m a visual person so it helps me to have a picture of each of the main characters available while I work with them.
8. What place that you haven’t visited would you like to go?
So many I couldn’t list them all here, Top three would be Paris, Rome and China. My husband can speak Mandarian, on of the Chinese dialects, so I think we would have fun.
9. What’s your favorite thing about your book?
It still makes me cry, even now. But it’s good tears.
10. Who is your greatest cheerleader?
Without a doubt, my husband, and his mother. When EZ first came out she went on Amazon ordered a bunch of copies and gave them to all her friends
Author Bio: Writing since 1991, Elaine Charton sold her first book in 2003. This made her a 12 year overnight success.. A member of Romance Writers of America she has served on the board of directors of New Jersey Romance Writers and Saguaro Romance Writers where she is a charter member. She has twice been a finalist in the prestigious Eppie awards.
Elaine and her husband, also a writer, have been married for over twenty years. They met on a blind date and fell in love while indulging in their shared addictions to Books, Chinese Food and Baseball.
Elaine and her husband, also a writer, have been married for over twenty years. They met on a blind date and fell in love while indulging in their shared addictions to Books, Chinese Food and Baseball.
Book Blurb: Pandora is a survivor of spousal abuse who is being stalked by someone who knows things only her dead ex-husband would know. Justin Andrews is hired to protect them, can he find out who the stalker is , or will his past come back to haunt him?
7 comments:
Hi, Elaine,
I'm a Jersey Girl too! And I also like Arizona. Enjoyed your interview and your book sounds really interesting.
All the best,
Jacqueline Seewald
THE DROWNING POOL, request it at your local library!
Great to meet this author! Congratulations on getting your second book out.
Katie and Jacqueline-
Hello and Thanks. Even though I miss my friends back east, I love it out here.
“You have to decide that the only way the publishing world is getting rid of you is with an Uzi.”
I love this! Great advice.
Great interview, Elaine! Hope to see you at NJRW conference!
Christine
Kathy-
That is my favorite piece of advice.
Chris!
Not sure I can make NJRW this year. I will be in DC though for National and am so looking forward to it. Rooming with Linda P.
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