Guest Author: Roxanne St. Claire

Roxanne St. Claire joins us again today to talk about writing, reading, and more importantly…Sawyer from Lost.

Book Binge: What is the difference in writing a single title for Pocket Books vs. a category romance for Harlequin’s Silhouette Desire line?

Roxanne St. Claire: The difference between a big, juicy steak, rare and smothered in blue cheese and a three-layer dark chocolate cake, heavy on the frosting. They’re both incredibly fun to dive into, but the taste is entirely different. The single titles I write have action, adventure, danger, complicated plots with multiple villains, lots of secondaries, and a core romance that drives everything. The Desires (I haven’t written one in well over a year, sadly, since I’m concentrating on the Bullet Catchers, but I hope to again) are pure romance, sexual tension, conflict, banter, emotional twists, and a core romance that drives everything. At the root of whatever I write, there is a deep and complex relationship, full of electricity and chemistry and fire, but the stories can be very different.

BB: What are you working on now?

RSC: Dan’s book! It’s coming out in the summer of 2009, it’s *tentatively* titled WHEN HE LIES. I’m having fun with him!

BB: What is easier…writing a stand alone or writing a series?

RSC: Nothing is easy. Noth. Ing. Not a scene, not a page, not a word. Every single book makes me want to tear my hair out at the roots and go back to writing press releases for hamburger companies. But I won’t. I love my job!

BB: What is your writing process like? Do you outline?

RSC: Constantly. I outline every day. On reams of legal pads. In pretty blue ink. Then I sit down to write what I’ve outlined and something entirely different and unexpected comes out of my fingertips. At the end of the day, I take out my pad and outline all over again. I save all of my legal pads and when I finish a book, I flip through them and laugh.

BB: What kind of research do you do for your books? Do you get to visit the places you write about (like the Caribbean)?

RSC: I do try to set books in places where I’ve been, or are similar to places I’ve visited or lived. I took a research trip to Charleston, South Carolina last year because the setting is central to the story arc in the 2008 Bullet Catcher trilogy. When a story takes me somewhere I’ve never been or can’t go, I use my imagination and all the research available. I often put out calls for help on my many writers loops and am amazed at the assistance and photos and information everyone shares.

BB: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?

RSC: Wishing I could be a writer. I’ve had other jobs, some kind of glam (TV actress), some very challenging (business owner), some rather impressive on paper (PR executive). But nothing (except being a mom, of course!) has ever made me happier, way down deep in the bone, than writing novels. I hope to have the opportunity to do so as long as I can sit up straight and type.

BB: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

RSC: Read. Write. Connect. Never give up. Start writing a new book the day you finish one, don’t rewrite the first three chapters six hundred times, fine tune your voice, and believe this to be true: mere mortals write books. People just like you and me. You don’t have to be someone extraordinary or know someone in publishing or have a special secret. Just write, learn, polish, and submit.

BB: Who is your favorite romance author?

RSC: All of the usual suspects – especially the Queens of Romantic Suspense like Linda Howard, Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown. When I sneak in a paranormal, it’s Kresley Cole all the way, and I’ve discovered YA in the past few years and have been gobbling that up, too.

BB: What is your favorite romance novel to re-read?

RSC: LaVyrle Spencer’s MORNING GLORY is my number one comfort read, followed by ALL THE QUEEN’S MEN and MR. PERFECT by Linda Howard.

BB: Pepsi or Coke?

RSC: Wine.

BB: What’s your biggest weakness (shoes, books, chocolate, etc)?

RSC: My kids.

BB: Chocolate or Vanilla?

RSC: Chocolate ON vanilla.

BB: Coffee or Tea?

RSC: Coffee with plenty of sugar and cream. I’m not an elitist. When my husband comes home from dropping the kids off at school with a great big Dunkin’ Donuts coffee for me, I remember why I married the man.

BB: Favorite movie?

The list is long, and depends on my mood. Recently my ten-year-old daughter and I discovered that there are about six million movies for 99 cents right on our TV. I had no idea until we were channel surfing one night. “What is this On Demand classics thing?” I asked. Whoa! Who knew? This summer, we are watching a movie every night and through her eyes, they are all brilliant again. Last week, we watched “Ghost” and “Overboard” and “Gone With The Wind.” (She did NOT like the ending.) I just love a good story with unforgettable characters and a hot guy or two.

BB: Favorite T.V. show?

RSC: Lost. Lost. And more Lost. Can we just talk about Sawyer for a minute? Le major sigh. I’m totally hooked beyond description. I admit to an embarrassing weakness for some reality shows, mostly because the insight into characters is priceless. I’m fascinated with America’s Biggest Loser because those people literally change their lives in the course of a season, and they lose so much more than weight – they lose baggage and gain self awareness. In a sense, isn’t that what we writers try to do with every character’s journey? I can also lose a few hours on Clean House, What Not To Wear (Clinton rocks), So You Think You Can Dance, and, yep, I love me some American Idol. I thought last season was superb – I cried when David Cook won.

BB: Favorite color?

RSC: Pink. Is there another color?

BB: Mexico or Hawaii?

RSC: I love Hawaii and have visited many times and left my heart on the Kona Coast. I bet I’d love Mexico, but I’ve only ever been to Cancun and Tijuana, and something tells me I’ve missed the good parts.

BB: Fly or Drive?

RSC: Fly = Xanax. ‘Nuff said.

BB: Thanks for taking the time to visit with us, Rocki!

RSC: Thank you for the opportunity to visit! I’ll be happy to pop in and answer any questions about books, discuss life, share thoughts about writing, and review the fine points of Sawyer.

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