Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Well you got to know more about Margay Leah Justice's first book in her Dante Chronicles called Nora's Soul in her guest blog on Friday, January 9th. Today you will be getting to know author who wrote the book in this following interview. I had fun asking Margay questions about her writing and herself especially since I loved her answers, which gave me such insight into her and her writing. So enjoy the following interview between me and Margay.


* * * *


Phoebe Jordan: When did you know that writing romance was going to be the thing that you would do with your life? Which author inspired you to start writing romance?


Margay Leah Justice: I have always known that I wanted to write, in some capacity or another. In fact, I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t write. As to when I decided to write romance, I think the idea might have been born in my early readings of Jude Devereux. I just loved reading about her Montgomery men and wanted to write rollicking stories like that, too.


Phoebe: Did you know what type of romance you wanted to write about or did you experiment with different genres before you chose the one that you felt was for you?


Margay: I started writing medieval novels in my teens (as stated above, I was really into Jude Devereux then), but kind of morphed into other historical periods (I have some ideas on the back burner in that regard—some in the Victorian era, one in the golden age of piracy and another set during the French and Indian wars) later on. Writing contemporary romances—and ultimately, paranormal—kind of snuck up on me. But it seems to be a comfortable fit because I have a lot of ideas brewing in this genre.


Phoebe: What was the first fiction you ever wrote? And do you still have it with you?


Margay: I think it was something about an Indian (American) princess. No, I don’t still have it, but it would be good for a laugh—I was only about twelve when I wrote it!


Phoebe: How much research do you have to do for your novels and did it take you a long time to gather that research?


Margay: I’m funny about gathering research—I don’t just do it for a specific book. I am constantly bookmarking sites for research purposes or saving news clips that spark an idea. For me, research is a continual thing. But when I do it for a specific book, I try to be thorough. Sometimes, gathering research could take months.


Phoebe: How did you come up with the concept for your upcoming novel Nora’s Soul, which is the first in your Dante Chronicles series?


Margay: It literally came to me in a dream, well, two actually, that I had in one night. Even as I went from one dream to the other, I knew they were interconnected because the woman in them was the same. They were so completely different that they sparked a myriad of questions that had to be answered. Dream number one was of a woman—let’s call her Nora—who was in a nightclub, dancing the night away with a devilishly handsome man and when she tired and turned away from him, his eyes began to glow red and his appearance took on a devilish glow. Why? I wondered. I had to find out. Well, before I could, Nora showed up in my next dream, dressed prim and proper, hair pulled into a severe bun, and she was moving into a garage apartment in preparation for caring for the twins of a widower. I was hooked at that point and had to tease out the story.


Phoebe: How many novels are you planning to write for this your series called The Dante Chronicles?


Margay: However many it takes for Dante to tell me his story! I think three at the least, possibly more. He is a larger than life character and has so much to say!


Phoebe: Do you have a process of how you start to write your novels?


Margay: I like to start with an outline so I have something I can look at to tease out the ideas. My outlines can be very detailed, including dialogue and bits of scenes—whatever comes to me while I’m sketching out the idea, I write in the outline. For me, this helps to conquer the dreaded blank page.


Phoebe: Which do you like best, writing a series or writing stand alone novels? How is writing each different for you?


Margay: That’s hard! Each has its merits. I do have a fondness for series, at this point, because it gives me more time with my characters.


Phoebe: What process did you have to go through to get your first book published and did it take you long?


Margay: Well, I had been trying off and on for a number of years, in between motherhood and dealing with a child with medical issues. But about five years ago, I decided to seriously pursue it again. My first step was to test the waters by entering Nora’s Soul in a contest. Although I didn’t win, I met a great group of people and several of us got together to create a critique group. We often talked about our difficulties in getting published and how much we believed in each other’s work. We even tossed out the idea of starting our own publishing company. Well, one of our members took the idea and ran with it and so Second Wind Publishing was born and all of us in that group have been or are in the process of being published.


Phoebe: How did you feel when you finally saw your first published book came out?


Margay: It was surreal. It didn’t start feeling real until the first time I saw my book on Amazon.com. But it really sank in when I received my own copies in the mail. Holding the book in my hand, looking at my name on the cover, reading my words inside—it was incredible.


Phoebe: How do you handle your writing schedule and your personal life without going insane?


Margay: Whenever I feel the pressure building in either area, I take a break. I either go read a book, watch a little television, knit an afghan—whatever I need to do relax. That is the key.


Phoebe: What do you do to relax after having spent a long while writing?


Margay: Catch up on my reading, knit something, watch television, or sometimes, I just take a nap.


Phoebe: Do you have any hobbies?


Margay: You might be seeing a pattern here, but I love to read and knit. Even my hobbies are creative!


Phoebe: Is there any advice that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?


Margay: Don’t ever allow anyone to talk you out of your dream. If your dream is to write, then write. Take courses, hone your skills, learn everything you can about the techniques of writing and the market you’re interested in. Writing isn’t as easy as picking up a pen and scribbling on paper. There’s a rhythm and a structure to it that you need to learn before you attempt to reinvent it. And don’t write for the fame, don’t write for the money you envision making because it isn’t a quick windfall for most of us. Write for the sheer pleasure of writing; if you don’t unconditionally love what you’re doing, it will show in your writing. This is a tough business to get into, but if you have your heart set on it, don’t let anyone talk you out of it. This is a very subjective business. Just as you, the reader, don’t love every book you look at in the store, editors and agents won’t love everything that comes across their desk. Take it for what it is and move on to the next. Eventually, you’ll find the right fit.


Phoebe: Is there any writing tips, research tips, promotion and marketing tips that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?


Margay: Writing tips: Learn, learn, learn. Whether it’s through a class or a book on writing, always hone your skills. Research tips: Bookmark anything you think might be an interesting tidbit—you can always delete it later if it doesn’t pan out, but it would be a pain to go looking for it again if you didn’t. Also, don’t let the research overwhelm you. Get enough details to lend authenticity, but learn when to draw the line before it overwhelms you. For writing and research: Back up everything. This is especially true for writing. Make copies of everything you write, send it to your email account, and copy it to a flash drive. You do not want to lose your only copy. Promotion tips: Start before the book comes out. Visit blogs, yahoo groups, social network spots, and brand yourself by commenting on other authors’ posts, writing announcements of your upcoming book, and the like. Use the internet to your advantage. Read the tips others post about marketing and promotion, familiarize yourself with what needs to be done and then commit to doing it. What many writers don’t realize is that much of the responsibility for promoting the book is on them, especially if they go with a smaller press. Even some of the larger ones are cutting back on their contributions to promotion, so keep informed about the trends and your responsibilities as the author.


Phoebe: Now for a question that I have been meaning to ask an author. Do you have a favorite genre you like to read? Who is your favorite author(s)?


Margay: I kind of read all over the place—kind of like my writing. I used to read and write only historical romances. But then I started reading the Silhouettes and Harlequins, so I opened myself up to a different genre. Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of paranormal romances, some of which are YA. So basically, I read—and write—in whatever genre provides an interesting story for me. I have a few favorite authors, but topping my list are Julia Quinn (my go-to author for Regencies), Stephenie Meyer (who opened me up to reading YAs) and Luanne Rice (who is the queen of women’s fiction). Thank you so much for interviewing me. It was a pleasure.

2 comments:

  1. Phoebe, thank you for the interview! It was great fun sharing my thoughts with you.
    Margay

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well it was a pleasure interviewing you Margay. I learned a bit about you and your writing that I thought very interesting.

    Phoebe

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting my Talk About My Favorite Authors blog. Comments written here are much appreciated and I hope that you enjoyed your visit and will be coming back soon.

Labels

A Tale of Shar Series (1) Abby Cooper Psychic Eye Mystery Series (1) Adrianne Brennan (2) Advance Readers Copy Reviews (31) Aisling Grey Series (1) Alexis Duvall (1) Alison Kent (2) Ally Carter (2) Alyson Noël (2) Amanda Ashby (2) Amanda Matetsky (1) Amy Redwood (4) Anastasia Rabiyah (1) Anastasia Steele (1) Angela Cameron (5) Angelis Family Series (4) Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series (3) Ann DeFee (1) Anne Elizabeth (1) Aphra Connolly Death Mystery Series (2) Apple Products (1) April Bostic (3) Argeneau Family Vampire Series (1) Ashen Twilight Series (1) Ashlynn Monroe (2) Ashton Grove Werewolves Series (5) Australian Series (2) Authors (21) Ava Rose Johson (1) BDSM (1) Betty Smith (1) Beverly Barton (1) Bitter Creek Series (1) Black Daggar Brotherhood (3) Blog Talk Radio (18) Blogs (11) Blood and Sex Series (3) Bonnie Dee (1) Book Blogger Appreciation Week (6) Book Bloggers and Publishers Online Conference (3) Book Challenge (1) Book Expo of America (2) Book Reviews (177) Book Trailers/Videos (6) Books turned to Movies (6) Bragg Saga Series (4) Brenda Joyce (18) Bridgerton Family Series (1) Brody Crossing Series (1) Broken Heart Oklahoma Vampire Series (1) Brotherhood of the Sword Series (5) Bubbles Yablonsky Series (1) Buchanan Family Series (3) C.H. Admirand (2) Cajun Contemporary Series (1) Cameron Sisters Series (1) Captive Hearts Series (1) Cara Summers (4) Casa Dracula Series (3) Cassandra Curtis (1) Catherine Anderson (7) Catherine Coulter (8) Catherine Lanigan (1) Cathy Maxwell (3) Cathy McDavid (1) Cavendish Square Trilogy (1) Cecilia Tan (2) Celestial Lovers Series (2) Celia May Hart (1) Celina Summers (1) Centurion Series (1) Charlaine Harris (9) Charles Towne Belle Series (1) Charline Ratcliff (3) Charlotte Dillion (1) Charlotte Hughes (3) Charlotte McClain (2) Chelsea James (1) Chesapeake Bay Saga Series (1) Chicago Stars Series (1) Christian Grey (1) Christian Romance (3) Christina Dodd (1) Christine Feehan (2) Chrysalis Series (2) Ciar Cullen (1) Circle Trilogy (1) Clare Austin (3) Claudia Dain (1) Comanche Series (1) Contest (12) Coulter Family Series (1) Courtesan Series (1) Courtship Wars (3) CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (1) Crossroads Series (3) Crystal Green (6) Crystal Jordan (6) Cynthia Eden (2) Daddy in Progress Series (3) Dakota Johnson (1) Dallas Duet Series (1) Dara England (1) Dark Gate series (1) Dark Hunter Series (1) Dark Moon Series (1) Dark of kNight Series (1) Dark Ones Series (1) Dawn Atkins (1) Dawn Thompson (1) Dead World Series (1) Debbi Rawlins (1) Debbie Macomber (1) Debora Dennis (1) Debra Cown (1) Dee Tenorio (2) Deirdre Martin (1) Demon Princess Chronicles Series (1) Dena Celeste (2) Denise Lynn (1) Desert Secret Series (1) Devil's Duology Series (1) Devyn Quinn (1) Diana Castilleja (1) Diana Holquist (1) Dirk and Steele Series (1) Dolan Brothers Family Series (1) Dollaganger series (1) Dorothy Garlock (8) Drake Family Series (2) Dukes of Wyndham Series (2) E. L. James (3) eBooks (177) Eden Bradley (1) Elizabeth Lowell (2) Elle Amery (6) Emily Bryan (2) Erica Orloff (2) Erotic Horror Romance (1) Eva Gordon (5) Fadó Trilogy (2) Fae Sutherland (4) Federation Series (3) Fever Series (5) Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy (3) Final Prophecy Series (3) Firehouse 59 Series (1) Francesca Cahill Deadly Series (1) Fred the Mermaid Series (3) Friday’s at Luciano’s Series (1) Gabriella Hewitt (2) Gail Roarke (1) Gallagher Girls Series (2) Genella deGrey (2) Gerry Bartlett (4) Ghostwalker Series (1) Glory St. Claire Vampire Series (4) Goddess Fish Promotions (4) Grace Coopersmith (1) Graphic Novels (1) Guest Blog Reviewer (7) Guest Blogger (59) Gwen Hayes (1) Gwen Rowley (1) Gwynne Forster (1) Hailey North (5) Harlequin American Romance Series (10) Harlequin Blaze Series (25) Harlequin Special Releases (1) HarperCollins Publishers (1) Harry Potter Series (1) Highlander Series (9) Historical McKettrick Series (4) Hope Tarr (1) Hot Cops Series (1) Hotel Marchance Series (1) House of Night Series (5) Houston Family Series (1) Immortals After Dark Series (4) Immortals Series (2) Imprint William Morrow (1) IN DEATH Series (2) In The Garden Trilogy (1) Indencent Proposals Series (2) Indie Publishing (1) Inez Kelley (1) Inspirational Romance Series (1) Interview (74) Irish Trilogy Series (1) Irish Western Series (1) Isabo Kelly (1) J.D. Robb (3) J.K. Coi (2) J.K. Rowling (1) J.L. Oiler (1) J.R. Ward (5) Jacquie D'Alessandro (1) Jade Lee (1) Jaid Black (3) Jamie Dornan (1) Jane Austen (1) Jane Feather (2) Janet Chapman (10) Janis Reams Hudson (1) Jasmine Aherne (3) Jax Cassidy (1) Jayne Ann Krentz (2) Jeanne St. James (1) Jeannie Ruesch (1) Jenna Bayley-Burke (3) Jennifer Crusie (1) Jennifer Haymore (1) Jennifer Leeland (1) Jeri Smith-Ready (1) Jess Granger (1) Jessica Andersen (3) Jessica Barksdale Inclán (3) Jessica Brody (1) Jessica Coulter Smith (12) Jessie Colter (1) Joan Johnston (6) Joanne Rendell (1) Jodi Lynn Copeland (1) Johanna Lindsey (1) Joie Cain (1) Joneses Family Series (1) Jordan Summers (1) joy nash (1) Judith McNaught (4) Judy Christenberry (1) Julia London (2) Julia Quinn (4) Julie Garwood (6) Julie James (2) Julie Kimbrell (1) K. Celeste Bryan (1) Kane/Cabot Vampire Series (1) Kara Lennox (3) Karen Anders (3) Karen Erickson (1) Karen Marie Moning (8) Karen Robards (3) Karen Rose Smith (3) Karin Tabke (1) Karoline Barrett (1) Kate Holly Case Series (2) Kathleen E. Woodiwiss (7) Kathryn Caskie (3) Kathy Lyons (1) Kathye Quick (3) Katie Alender (1) Katie MacAlister (11) Kazuo Ishiguro (1) KB Alan (1) Keisha Mennefee (1) Kelley Nyrae (2) Kelly Jones Thriller Series (2) Kelly Marcel (1) Kendra Ballantyne - Pet-Sitter Mystery Series (6) Kerrelyn Sparks (8) Keta Diablo (13) Key Trilogy Series (1) Kiki Howell (3) Kim Knox (1) Kimberley Troutte (1) Kinley MacGregor (7) Klaus Brothers Series (2) Kresley Cole (7) L.L. Foster (2) Lara Adrian (1) Laura Bickle (1) Laura Marie Altom (2) Laurell K. Hamilton (6) Lauren Dane (5) Lauren Fraser (2) Lauren Murphy (1) Laurin Wittig (1) League of Sensational Abilities (LSA) Series (2) Legacy Series (1) Leigh Ellwood (1) Leigh Michaels (1) Leslie Wainger (1) Lex Valentine (2) Lilli Feisty (1) Linda Francis Lee (1) Linda Gerber (2) Linda Howard (3) Linda Lael Miller (20) Linda Mooney (1) Linda O. Johnston (6) Linda Palmer (8) Linda Windstead Jones (1) Linore Rose Burkard (2) Lisa Jackson (5) Lisa Lane (6) Lisa M. Campbell (2) Lisa Marie Wilkinson (1) Lisa Whitefern (1) Lissa Matthews (2) Logger Series (1) London Undead Series (1) Lone Star Sisters Series (3) Look Book Series (1) Lorhainne Eckhart (3) Lori Borrill (1) Lori Foster (12) Lori Handeland (3) Lori Perkins (1) Lori Wilde (3) Love at Stake Series (6) Lucinda Betts (1) Lust in Space Series (1) Lust in Translation Miniseries (1) Lynsay Sands (1) M. Jean Pike (2) M.A. Ellis (1) M.G. Braden (2) M.J. Holliday Ghost Hunter Mysteries Series (2) M.L. Lacy (3) MacAlister Series (5) MacBook Pro (2) MacKade Brothers Series (1) Madonna Lacy (3) Maggie Shayne (1) Magic Series (1) Male/Male Erotic Romance (4) Manic Readers Review (10) Margay Leah Justice (2) Marguerite Labbe (1) Maria Murnane (1) Marine Series (1) Mario Puzo (1) Marisa Chenery (3) Marjorie M. Liu (1) Marta Acosta (4) MaryJanice Davidson (4) MaryLu Tyndall (3) McKettrick Series (9) Megan Hart (1) Melissa and Christopher Golliday (2) Men of Mercy Medical Series (2) Men of the West Series (1) Merry Gentry Series (1) Message Boards/Forums (5) Michele Bardsley (2) Michele Dunaway (1) Michelle Gagnon (2) Michelle Lauren (3) Michelle M. Pillow (5) Midnight Breed Series (1) Millie Criswell (1) Minnette Meador (2) Missy Lyons (1) Moira Keith (3) Mojo Sheepshanks Books Series (2) Monère Children of the Moon Series (3) Montana Brides Series (2) Montana To Die Series (2) Morganville Vampires Series (5) Movie (2) Nancy O'Berry (3) Nell Dixon (1) New Books (3) New Moon (1) New Orleans Series (1) Nicole Jordan (5) Nicole Morgan (2) Nightcreatures Series (1) Niki Green (1) Non-Romance (1) NOOKbook (1) NOOKcolor (1) Nora Roberts (22) Norah Hess (1) Northbridge Nuptials Series (5) One True Love Trilogy Series (1) Orphan Train Series (1) P.C. and Kristin Cast (5) Paige Turner Mystery Series (1) Paige Tyler (5) Paige Warren (3) Pamela Clare (1) Pamela Palmer (1) Paradise Series (1) Patricia Sargeant (1) Patti Berg (1) Penguin Publishing Group (1) Penny McCall (1) Penny Watson (3) Perfect Anatomy Series (3) Personal (44) Phoenix Chronicles Series (2) PJ Schnyder (1) Podcast (18) Portia da Costa (2) Promotional (88) Puffin Harbor Series (1) Pump Up Your Book Promotion (5) Quaid Horses Series (1) Quartzton Series (4) Queen Betsy Undead Series (2) R.F. Long (4) R.G. Alexander (2) Rachel Caine (5) Rachel Vincent (1) Rae Lori (5) Raintree Series (1) Rating 3 Open Books (6) Rating 3.5 Open Books (18) Rating 4 Open Books (78) Rating 4.5 Open Books (39) Rating 5 Open Books (6) Ravenous Romance (1) Realms Beyond Series (1) Rebecca J. Vickery (3) Reese Johnson (2) Requested Reviews (117) RG Alexander (1) Rhiannon Leith (2) Rie McGaha (3) Rikki Donovan (1) Rita Gerlach (1) Rita Sawyer (3) Rob Graham (1) Robin Shope (1) Romance Divas Promo (15) Romantic Suspense (1) Romantic Times BOOKlovers Convention (2) Route 66 Series (1) Royle Sisters Trilogy (3) RT BOOKlovers Convention Special (16) Russian Series (1) Saint Georges Series (1) Salamander's Tales Series (1) Sam Taylor-Johnson (1) Sandra Hill (1) Sara Taney Humphreys (2) Sarah Strohmeyer (3) SBC Fighters Series (5) Second Romance Series (2) Secret Lives of Cowboys Series (1) Seeds of Oden (1) Sela Carsen (1) Servant Series (2) Sexy Series (1) Sharon Sala (3) Shayla Black (2) Shelley Munro (3) Sherbrooke Bride Series (2) Sherrilyn Kenyon (4) Shiloh Walker (3) Sign of Seven Trilogy Series (3) Silhouette Nocturne Series (3) Silhouette Special Edition Series (15) Silver Dragons Series (2) Sinclair Brothers Series (1) Sisters of the Lone Star Series (1) Small Town USA Series (1) Song Series (2) Sookie Stackhouse - Southern Vampire Series (8) Soul Screamers Series (1) Stella Bagwell (1) Stephanie Adkins (2) Stephenie Meyer (4) Sunny (4) Susan Andersen (2) Susan Elizabeth Phillips (1) Susan Johnson (1) Susan Mallery (5) Sutherland Brothers Series (1) Sweetbrier Academy Series (2) T.A. Ford (1) T.L. Mitchell (2) Tales of the Darkworld Series (1) Tall Dark and Dangerously Hot Trilogy Series (3) Tamela Quijas (2) Tami Hoag (2) Tanya Michaels (1) Tara S. Nichols (4) Tatiana Caldwell (1) Tawny Taylor (3) Tawny Weber (6) Teresa D'Amario (1) Teresa Medeiros (3) Teresa Southwick (2) Terisa Wilcox (1) The Darkness and the Night Series (3) The de Warenne Dynasty Series (9) The Doomsday Brethren Series (2) The Masters of Time (1) The Scandal Series (1) The State of Parenthood Series (2) The Suds Club (4) Theresa Scott (2) Thursday Thirteen (11) Tori Carrington (2) Tracy Cooper-Posey (3) Triton Experiment Series (1) Twilight Saga (1) Twilight Series (6) Two Showgirls Series (1) Undercover Lovers Miniseries (1) V.C. Andrews (1) Vampire Bite Series (2) Vanessa Jaye (1) Veronica Wolff (3) Victoria Chancellor (1) Victoria Laurie (3) Victoria Pade (5) W. Somerset Maugham (1) Wasteland Series (3) Websites (14) Wendy Ely (4) Widgets (1) Wild Horse Press (22) Winston Family Series (3) Wolf Maiden Chronicles Series (4) Wolf of My Heart Series (1) Writing (3) Writing Romance (10) WVMP Radio Series (1) Young Adult (28)

Total Pageviews

Featured Post

Fifty Shades of Grey Movie

Fifty Shades of Grey Movie Poster It was more than year ago that we had heard rumors that there would be a Fifty Shades of Grey movie com...

Blog Archive

My Favorite Quotes

2018 Reading Challenge

2018 Reading Challenge

2018 Reading Challenge
Phoebe has read 0 books toward her goal of 20 books.
hide

My Loyal Readers

Social Media Profiles

Amazon ProfileBlogger ProfileFacebook Fan PageGoogle ProfileLinkedIn ProfileMySpacePhoebe Jordan’s PayPal Verified!SkypeTwitterIn the Life of…An Aspiring Romance WriterYahoo! ProfileYouTube Channel

I'm Currently Reading...

Shelfari: Book reviews on your book blog

To Be Read Pile

Shelfari: Book reviews on your book blog

*

Goodreads Updates

TAMFA Podcast

Listen to internet radio with Phoebe Jordan on BlogTalkRadio

FeedBurner

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner


Popular Posts

Blogs of Interest