I'm delighted to have with us today an author and someone I consider a friend ever since we were apart of the Through the Garden Gate series. We each won our category in the contest The Wild Rose Press did to build up their historical line. So welcome and I hope everyone enjoys this chat.
1. What made you decide to become a writer? I was a teacher for twenty-seven years. After retirement, I decided it was time to start practicing what I’d been teaching students to do. It didn’t take long to realize that teaching essay writing and creative writing was much different from creating a novel.
2. How long did it take you to get published? How did it happen? I wrote my first novel in 2003 and my second novel in 2005. Both were rejected. My novella, Isabelle and the Outlaw was published in 2007. The Wild Rose Press offered a contest for a 25K word novella with a certain theme. The prize was a publishing contract. Since winning, I’ve had three novels published with Avalon Books and two novellas and a novel published with The Wild Rose Press.
3. They say hind sight is 20/20. Looking back on your career as a published author, is there anything you’d do differently? I waited until I retired from teaching to write. In hindsight, I wish I hadn’t waited so long to begin my writing career.
4. What advice would you give to others pursuing a writing career? Good writers are avid readers, so not only read, but make writing a priority.
5. Will you share with us how you come up with your story ideas? As loony as it sounds, plot lines often come to me in dreams. Other times, a picture on a billboard might spur an idea, or a line from a song.
6. Do you belong to a writers group and/or critique group? I shy away from critique groups. My first experience with a critique group was horrible and almost killed my confidence to the point that I thought I wasn’t good enough to write. I do belong to RWA, Western Writers of America, and Florida Chapter Historical Novel Society.
7. Where do you see yourself in five years? I’m striving to get at least one of my novels written as a screenplay either for television (and wishfully) for the big screen.
8. Where can readers find you on the internet? I’d love for readers to visit my website: http://www.lorettacrogersbooks.com
9. Do you currently have anything you are working on? If so, do you feel comfortable telling us a little about it? I’m working on a historical western romance with paranormal elements. When a rancher’s wife is murdered and his young daughter kidnapped by an elusive band of renegades, the hero seeks help from a young woman with psychic powers.
10. What are your most recent releases? Where can readers get these? BANNON’S BRIDES, a historical western romance, can be purchased from: www.thewildrosepress.com; Amazon.com or B&N on-line store. It is available in both print and e-book. December 2011, SUPERSTITION TRAIL, a historical western will release from Avalon Books and will be available from the publisher’s website as well as B&N.com and Amazon.com.
Thank you, Loretta for taking this time to chat with us. I've enjoyed it and I hope others have as well.
5 comments:
I'm impressed, Loretta! 4 years, 5 stories published. Nice track record.:)
Loretta, nice to meet someone else who has 20/20 hindsight. LOL You have certainly done well with your writing. Congratulations.
Thank you, Leanne for inviting me to your blog.
Isabel-I really like your name. You can tell because, the title of my TWRP novella is "Isabelle and the Outlaw."
Caroline-maybe if we'd begun our writing careers much earlier, we'd be experiencing the same fame as Nora Roberts. TeeHeeHee!
I agree with Isabel. Once you started writing, you sure didn't waste any time. It's nice to see you here, Loretta, and to hear more about your writing journey. Nice to discover your blog, too, Leanne.
Thanks for dropping by Sandy. It's always nice when authors support each other.
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