ALL THINGS ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

 SPOTLIGHT AUTHOR:  ELAINA LEE

Before we get started talking about your books, tell us a little about yourself.  Where are you from?  What is your occupation outside of writing?  I am from the deep south, well that's where I live now.  I was raised in the Pacific Northwest, so this is a huge difference for me!  Outside of writing, I'm a mom and a wife and I also do cover art design.  All three can be exhausting.  *wink*

Would you describe yourself as an introvert or an extrovert? Oh, I am very introverted.  I can go weeks without leaving my house and be perfectly okay with that.  But I do occasionally need to get out, but I don't want to be around other people, just my family and nature is perfect.

Do you have any pets?  We have two goats.  They do have names, but they're wild (when we got them as babies they hadn't been messed with and you can't 'tame' a goat).  We named them Shasta and Gazelle.  Usually though, we just call them "Mama". J

What are your favorite books to read? I read all over the place, from Science Fiction and Fantasy to straight Action/Adventure.  I love them all.  Well, except Military Fiction, I still have yet to find a military fiction book I want to read.  Oh, and doom and gloom books…

How many books have you written and how many of those are published?  (Please list the names of your books here) I've written nine total and only two are worthy of being published.  The other seven should be burned before any eyes ever see them, LOL!  The two that can be published are, and they're Written in Blood (released by Noble Romance) and First Kiss (soon to be released by Decadent Press).

Do you have one particular genre that all your books fall under (i.e. suspense, romance, etc.)  or do you write in many different genres?  I write under many different genres.  I love romance as a whole, so however the story comes to me, as long as it involves two people falling in love, I'll write it!

How much character and plot detailing do you plan out before you begin writing a novel, or are you a “pantser” (fly by the seat of your pants) ?  I like to have at least a hundred pages planned, so that way I don't get stuck.  Hopefully as I write the first hundred pages, the other hundred or so will come to me.

Prior to becoming a published author, how many rejections did you receive?  How did you handle the rejections?  Before I knew what I was doing (yes, I suffered from the 'hey I can write, who won't want this?!' syndrome), I collected close to thirty rejects.  I read once that if you send out 12 queries and they all come back as rejections, something is wrong.  I took that seriously.  When I was finally ready to submit something worth publishing, I received about four rejections.  I took them as a sign my story wasn't meant to be with that house, and I'd find the house that did want it and therefore would be a perfect fit for me.  J

How and when do you write? Do you keep yourself on a schedule or do you work while the muse is with you? At this point in my life I write when I get the chance.  Usually after dinner and I try to write at least a paragraph a day, to keep my brain from going to stale and shutting down on the writing front.

If you have a new release coming out, tell us about it.  I do have a new release coming out, but I don't have a release date, hopefully in a few weeks though!  It's titled First Kiss and is a contemporary romance novella -

A kiss can change everything…

When Michelle Seaborne is assigned Alexander Trent at the music label she works for, she knows she's in for a rough time.  Fifteen years ago, Alexander was her first kiss.  Of course, he doesn't remember her.  So, if she plays her cards carefully, he won't and they can move on with the project, her heart unscathed.  What she doesn't count on is a sensuous night in his arms, and the hope for something more.  Any beliefs for a relationship are dashed when Alexander hands her a box, a thank you for a night, and a goodbye.

A man can only make so many mistakes, and Alexander is ready to stop making them.  At least, that's what he keeps telling himself.  An unexpected passion filled night changes everything, and unsure of the future he can give, he does the only thing he knows how.  He ends anything before it can begin.  Something about Michelle pulls at his memory though.  Despite her assurance they've never met, Alexander can't help but wonder, how does he know her?  As doubts about Michelle's words grow, so do his feelings towards her.  Only now, how does he redeem himself?

If you could give one piece of advice to writers trying to get published, what would that advice be?  Take criticism with an open mind.  Those words that hurt and sting now, may make sense in a week or two and may strengthen your story.  And don't ever let a negative word get you down.  It's one person's opinion and no one should stop you from writing.

Where can we read more about you and your work? At my website http://www.elainalee.com/  or my blog www.elaina-lee.blogspot.com

Thank you for stopping by Elaina.  Best wishes with your new release!