Hi Lily- Thanks
for having me today. You are a peach for doing this. That's an old fashioned
word right there, but I write sweet old fashioned love stories.
I'm a latecomer to
writing. I love books and always dreamed of being an author, but never had a
story o to tell until a vivid dream stayed with me one morning. That dream
became the prologue of my book, A BLANKET FOR HER HEART. Once I started
writing, the stories kept coming and I now write constantly.
Lily: What genre
do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
RC: For the moment I've settled
on contemporary sweet love stories, but I've written suspense, a historical,
some mystery and a number of short stories. I decided I had to concentrate on
one genre and get that right if I wanted to be published.
Lily: What have
you had published to-date? Do you write under a pseudonym?
RC: I use my initials- RC Bonitz and
I've had two books published within the last couple of months. A LITTLE BIT OF
BLACKMAIL, a sweet romance, came out as an ebook in November and the print
version came out in April. A BLANKET FOR HER HEART came out in print almost the
same week. What a kick that was. My third book, A LITTLE BIT OF BABY, will be coming out soon.
Lily: I
understand one of your books is indie published. How did that happen?
RC: Now, there's an interesting
question. I had both books under contract to publishers, but with the editing
and cover ready to go, one publisher decided A BLANKET FOR HER HEART didn't fit
the genres they wanted to publish at that point. There I was expecting to be notified
the book was being released, and instead I got an email saying they couldn't
publish it. They very nicely gave me the cover and editing without charge, but
I was on my own. So, rather than go through the submission process again, I
went the indie route. My next book, A LITTLE BIT OF BABY is in the hands of
Silver Publishing again. I still want a publisher's stamp of approval on my
writing.
Lily: Are your
books available as eBooks? Do you read eBooks or is it paper all the way?
RC: Both of my current books are
available as ebooks and in print. There's nothing like holding a paper copy in
your hand and one might as well sell in every medium one can. I do most of my
reading on my Kindle now though to minimize eye strain.
Lily: Do you
have a favourite of your books or characters? If any of your books were made
into films, who would you have as the leading actor/s?
RC: I love all my heroines when I'm
writing them. Anne, Diane, and Jessie, I really can't choose among them. I have
only one choice for an actress if someone offered a movie- Kate Beckinsale
would be my heroine for any of my books.
Lily: Did you
have any say in the titles / covers of your books? How important do you think
they are?
RC: I participated in the design of both
covers. I'm quite pleased with the results. Both artists wanted my input. That
was pretty amazing in the case of
A LITTLE BIT OF BLACKMAIL. Silver Publishing's cover artist, Reese
Dante, is a prize winning designer. I think she came up with a fabulous,
elegant cover. The titles in both cases were entirely my own. I've received
compliments on both, so I hope that approval translates into sales. Early
results look very good so far.
Lily: What are
you working on at the moment / next?
RC: I'm writing a sequel to A LITTLE BIT OF BABY which will be the
third in the series. At the moment it's A LITTLE BIT OF something??? I also
have a book that's calling to me, the story of a young Englishwoman determined
to break out of poverty in the early 1900's. That story is loosely based on the
life of my paternal grandmother, who was born in Leeds, England. I wrote
twenty-three chapters of it years ago, but didn't like the way it was headed
and never finished it.
Lily: Do you
manage to write every day? Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?
RC: I try to, but promotion's cutting into
my time these days. I'm usually at the computer six to eight hours each day. Need to walk a little on occasion
though- the legs dislike the sitting all day long.
Writer's block? I
can't say I have. My response is always the same if I hit a dry spell - I keep
writing something, anything. I may end up with a throw away, but the writing
gets me somewhere useful when I do that.
Lily: Do you
plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
RC: I call myself a half-pants
plotter, as in not writing by the seat of my pants entirely, and not plotting
in detail. I start with a few turning points identified, then "tell"
the first couple of chapters. After I've written them, I "tell" a few
more and so on, keeping in mind what turning point I'm heading for. The method
seems to work, though if I can't come up with an ending for my WIP I may have to
just let the words flow.
Lily: Have you
had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
RC: Oh yes, many on my early work. You get
down on yourself when that happens, but you have to pick up and go on. I recall
a phrase from my school days- a line by a famous poet or writer (can't recall
who unfortunately)- "Take your profits from defeat." That's been my
watchword ever since. I've also learned how to write query letters and synopses
now, so the rejections don't come anywhere near as odten.
Lily: Do you
enter competitions? Are there any you could recommend?
RC: I stopped doing competitions
after a number in which I received two top scores and one low one that would
end my chance to final. Now that I'm published I'm reconsidering my position
since it would help sales to be able to
say "Wiiner/Finalist in XYZ contest" on my cover.
Lily: What
advice would you give aspiring writers?
RC: Learn to
write before you write a novel. I re-wrote my first book a dozen times before I
got it right. Polishing four or five chapters would have taught me just as much
with a lot less wasted time and effort. And, once you've refined your writing-
think about the reader. What do you want them to feel when they read your book?
Lily: What do you
do when you’re not writing? Any hobbies or party tricks? :)
RC: I've owned
the same old red canoe since 1963 and still love to get out on a lake with a
fishing rod in my hands.
Lily: Are you on
any forums or networking sites? If so, how valuable do you find them?
RC: I'm a
member of CTRWA and CAPA and find them both very helpful. (Conn. Chapter
Romance Writers of America and Conn. Authors and Publishers Association). The
members of both groups are knowledgeable and helpful to each other and have
taught me a lot.
Lily: Where can
we find out about you and your writing?
RC: You can check out my blog at http://www.rcbonitz.com or my author page at Amazon. I'm also
on FB but not that active there. I'm in a flash fiction group, so you can find
some free reads on my blog as well. And, here's an excerpt of my writing-
A Little Bit of Blackmail- Excerpt
Thirty minutes late, she was rushing toward
the office when she saw the black limousine parked in front of Lorton Realty.
Not a gigantic one, but a real live limo nonetheless, with those dark tinted
windows you couldn't see through. Not moving, just sitting there like a tiger
ready to strike. It couldn't be him, could it? Or had he sent the rough guy
back to kidnap her and drop her in a pond?
Don't
be stupid, Diane. He wouldn't dare. But she shifted her steps and walked as close to
the storefronts as she could. Which caused her blazer sleeve to snag on a bit
of metal window frame and almost tip her over backwards before the fabric
ripped. Which would have upset her no end if she hadn't been waiting for
someone to jump out of the limo and grab her.
She slipped into the office, ready for a pot
of black coffee and a chance to breathe again. No luck. Pat Hawkins had been
gabby.
"Diane, what's this about you hooking
up with Brian Smith?" Joan Snyder, another of the agents demanded.
"Is it serious?" Joan was over thirty-five and a lot more desperate
for a man than Diane was. At least, she had been until yesterday.
Diane groaned. This was not a great way to
start her morning. "I met him once."
"Will you be seeing him again?"
Pat asked.
"He was named the most eligible
bachelor in town a couple of years ago," Joan said.
"And he's one of the richest people in
New England," Pat cried. "Are you sure you actually met the Brian Smith?"
"What did he look like?" Joan
asked.
"Dark hair, almost black. Firm chin.
Black eyes."
Joan stared at her. "Such enthusiasm.
Does he have any dimples? Or nice strong muscles?"
"It doesn't matter. He's a horrible
man," Diane said and started her computer.
The little brass bell over the door jingled
as someone entered.
Here's a
back-cover blurb about the story-
Diane is out to rescue her kid
sister, who has managed to get herself on the Net in flagrante. And the guy who
posted her picture is keeping it there.
Rich and powerful, Bryan has no idea what he’s
in for. His life is great, except for one tiny detail.
He's single and the
women he knows are after his money. He's at the bar of his own hotel when a
drop dead gorgeous woman comes on to him. One minute she's seducing him and the
next she's giving him a hard time. He finds the combination very intriguing.
Diane’s plan is dangerous but simple.
Seduce this guy until his clothes come off so she can take his picture. Then
it’s blackmail time.
Brian falls into her trap, but only to a
point. Bad news for Diane - nobody blackmails Brian Smith. Furious but
fascinated, he confronts her.
His fury fades once he hears her story.
This daring, captivating woman steals his heart, but he's still the villain to
her. How will he win her heart?
Their story is just beginning in --A LITTLE BIT
OF BLACKMAIL. Available from Silver Publishing
Thank you for hosting me today Lily. It's
been fun! RC
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