I have the pleasure of welcoming New York Times award-winning author, Rebecca York to BCC today. Rebecca has written over 125 books. KILLING MOON was a launch title for Berkley’s Sensation imprint in June 2003. DRAGON MOON is the ninth book in the Moon series. Rebecca enjoys cooking, walking, reading, gardening, rock collecting, travel, and Mozart operas. She and her husband live in Columbia, Maryland.
You also have the chance to win Dragon Moon, so make sure you enter the giveaway at the end of this post!
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Not too long ago I spoke to a group of seniors in the American Studies Department at The George Washington University about my career. The professor asked me to start by revealing something I hate about my job
What a way to begin!
But it wasn’t hard to come up with something. Like the covers of my books. Some are right on. Which is simply a matter of luck, since the cover is outside the author’s control.
I’ve had some doozies. Like UNDERCOVER ENCOUNTER, one of my Harlequin Intrigues from a few years ago. I call it UNDERWATER ENCOUNTER because it’s all green, and the hero looks like he’s drowning. DH points out that there’s a big screw running up the middle of the picture. Bulletin to the Harlequin art department: If you don’t know how to draw a New Orleans railing, leave it out of the picture.
Then there are Amazon reviews. Of course I’ve gotten some great ones. Here’s what a couple of respected reviewers said about KILLING MOON, my first werewolf book.
Romantic Times Book Club, Reviewer: Jill Smith
…thrilling paranormal tale… sets up a highly intriguing premise and introduces riveting characters. 4 1/2 stars, TOP PICK
Bookpage, Reviewer: Sandy Huseby
…mesmerizing action and passions that leap from the pages with the power of a wolf’s coiled spring.
And here’s my favorite nasty Amazon review for the same book–
…when will it end?! As a hardcore werewolf fan i found it interesting at first but all the forced magical bonding and the avoiding it got irritating fast. it was so irritating that i either wanted to scratch my eyes out or rip the book in to tiny pieces and ‘scream get over it!’ in frustration… yet my love of werewolves made me finish the book as painful as that was. You’d think someone born a werewolf even if raised in a bad family would except what he was better then this. as the first romance novel i’ve bothered to read i really hope not all romance novels are like this.
It warms my heart to note that the review is, um, illiterate.
Of course, there are things I LOVE about the writing life. Like waking up in the morning and reaching over the side of the bed to pick up my laptop computer. I boot up, and I’m ready to work. Well, ready to read my e-mail and Twitter. After that, I get to work.
Then there’s the job itself. How many people get paid to sit around making up lies? Or spinning stories, if you prefer.
I could keep bouncing back and forth here between the good news and the bad. For everything I love about my career, there’s something I hate.
Like revision letters. Or the inconvenience of getting royalties only twice a year.
Then I remember how much I love doing the research for my books. We travel a lot, often to check out locations for romantic suspense novels. DAY OF THE DRAGON, coming out in December, is set in Las Vegas, Italy, and Peru. I’d been to Italy and Las Vegas, so we planned a trip to Peru, scouting out locations I could use for the last third of the book. Of course I was bowled over by Machu Picchu, but a lot of people have been there or seen pictures. So I settled on Colca Canyon, which is actually deeper than the Grand Canyon although it’s not as spectacular looking because it’s not as wide. But there was plenty of local color I could use in the book, including the condors with ten-foot wingspans who glide on the canyon thermals in the mornings. And the desert scenery with the sun beating down, the women in colorful native costumes, and the small towns built of mud bricks with roofs of sheet metal, held down by rocks. They all made a perfect background for action sequences, like when my hero and heroine are ambushed and have to fight off men with rifles.
When I travel for research, I always find out things I would never have known if I hadn’t visited the location. For example, I had no idea that there are a lot of gambling casinos in Lima. But as soon as I saw them, I knew I was going to use one in the book.
What else do I love about being a novelist? The chance to create characters I can put through horrible trial and tribulation–then give them the happy ending they’ve earned. That’s certainly true of Ramsay Gallagher and Madison Dartmoor, the hero and heroine of DAY OF THE DRAGON. He’s a dragon-shifter who’s lost his ability to shift and she’s an archaeologist who may hold the key to his salvation–if they dare to bridge the gulf between them.
On balance, I love being a genre writer. And I can’t image doing anything else. What do you think? If you’re a writer, what do you love about your job, and what do you hate? And if you’re not a writer, I’d also love to know the answer to the question.
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GIVEAWAY!
I have 5 (FIVE) copies of Dragon Moon to giveaway away – 4 (FOUR) USA and 1 (ONE) UK
All you have to do to enter is the following:
1. Read BCC’s giveaway policy
2. Fill out this form
3. One entry per person please
Giveaway ends Sat 25th Sept!
GOOD LUCK!
16 Comments
I wonder how much the plan for a story changes during research – like including casinos in the story?
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I love this column, it's so nice to put a face and a bit of a personality to go with the names I know so well. I enjoyed Ms. York's comments about reviews, just goes to show that you can't please everyone so you'd better please yourself.
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I too love these columns, I love seeing the person behind the books.
It must be hard reading the negative reviews on your books, heartbreaking at first until you decide to let it go.
Also, didn't know that royalties were only paid twice a year.
Great article
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I'm actually a stay at home wife so I have a gravy job. The only thing I really hate is cleaning bathrooms!
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Wow!! Rebecca York – what a terrific author to spotlight!
It amazes me how close to me so many of the authors I love live. I guess that's why they hang out at Nora Roberts book store – they're all right there!
So cool! Great interview!
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Wonderful author feature and thank you for the fab giveaway!
xx,
E.J.
From the Shadows
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Thanks so much for sharing! I really enjoyed the post!
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How much does the story change? Well, I knew the H/h were going to Lima and that he'd leave her and go out at night–so a bad guy could follow him. I didn't know WHERE he was going until I saw the casinos. But I'd make bigger changes if I saw something that interested me. I mean, I wrote a whole book, SOLDIER CAGED, after seeing the bunker under the Greenbriar Hotel in West Virginia.
Yes, bad reviews do hurt.
Yes, I'm in the DC area. I grew up there, so I use the location frequently for books.
Rebecca
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Over 125 books! Wow!
Very interesting post. I can't even imagine how fun character development and research is! What a wonderful thing it is to be a writer!
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I'm not a writer, but do have a job. What I love are some of the people I work with and the paycheck. What I don't like are some of the other people I work with or for and not doing what I love. Ideally, I'll own a bookshop one day. And then I'll get up each day and yell, "I'M GOING TO WORK TODAY!"
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Ahhhh, what a great post!
I have a few of Rebecc's titles and looking forward to this contest! *fingers crossed*
Thank you!
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Thanks for the giveaway.
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I really enjoy reading your views.
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Thanks so much!
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I actually like your werewolf books a lot. I also usually give a little more credence to those who know how to hit the shift key.
I'm always interested in the writing process though and really liked the insights. Of course, I also like watching deleted scenes and director's commentary on dvd's so that may not mean a whole lot. lol.
Thanks for this great column & give away.
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Thank you for the chance to win Dragon Moon!!!
Re-posted your contest at: http://contests-freebies.blogs.....-city.html
Twitted: http://twitter.com/cherrymisch.....5510351675
Cherry Mischievous
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