author, Roxanne Snopek
I met contemporary romance author Roxanne Snopek through the Romance Writers of America – Greater Vancouver Chapter. We have plenty of members who have published really great books, and I always enjoy talking to them at meetings. I thought you might enjoy getting in on some of those conversations too…
STEAL OF A DEAL ALERT! (FYI – I’m reading this right now and loving it!)
A SWEET MONTANA CHRISTMAS will be on sale for 0.99 December 24-28. Regular price is 2.99.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a psychic, former ice-dancer who renovates Scottish castles in her spare time and speaks five languages. Plus dog. Truth is boring, people.
Why do you write romance?
I was very sensitive kid, shy, quick to tears and preferring books to sports, which was so not cool. But I’m also a Scorpio, so instead of toughening up, I decided to explore all the emotion and angst of relationships that so fascinates me. (And become famous doing it. I’d show them!) That, and I love grammar. I really do!
Do you write sweet or hot?
It seems I’m writing hotter these days. I write everything from closed-door scenes to fully-realized love scenes, but the emphasis is always on the emotion and the relationship, not body parts.
What is the most challenging thing about writing at the level of heat (or lack of) that you’ve chosen?
I always thought I couldn’t write sex scenes; then I got a job writing for what turned out to be an erotic interactive video game. Talk about your learning experiences. Not only did I have to write the scenes, but I had to read them, OUT LOUD to the team, which included several young, male coders. Squirm to the max. But inhibitions? Gone.
Tell us about your most recent book.
A SWEET MONTANA CHRISTMAS (Tule Publishing, Montana Born Books) came out November 2014. It’s a marriage-in-jeopardy story of a couple on the brink, who find each other again while fixing up a run-down honey farm.
Where did the idea for this story come from?
I got the idea while we were driving down the road to a country wedding, actually.
What formats is this book available in?
Digital through Amazon. It’s also part of a print anthology called A VERY MARIETTA CHRISTMAS, with Jane Porter and Megan Crane.
Where can we get our hands on a copy?
http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Montana-Christmas-Born-Book-ebook/dp/B00PYPHS9M
What was your path to publication like?
A slow build, I suppose. I started writing freelance, work-for-hire, advertorial, whatever I could get. From there I moved to short non-fiction books, then wrote a crime series, only the first of which was published. I had lots of short stories and essays published during that time as well. Once I decided to write romance, it took me about two or three years to get published. But I’d been writing for more than twenty years by then, in other formats.
What advice would you give aspiring romance authors?
Keep finishing manuscripts. You learn way more by finishing a book than you do by starting one.
What’s the hardest part about writing & publishing for you?
Revising. I can write a draft in no time. But fixing it is painful. And usually embarrassing. I once used the word “despite” about five dozen times in a single book. Despite knowing better!! (har.)
What’s your favourite part about writing & publishing?
The first draft. It’s fun, free and full of promise. I also love, love, love hearing from readers. I think I have the best readers in the entire world.
What are you working on next?
A SWEET MONTANA CHRISTMAS is part of a series called This Old House. The first book is FINDING HOME, and I’m writing the third one right now, called THE COWBOY NEXT DOOR, about a young single mother and the man she refuses to let herself love. There will be at least one more book after that as well.
Who are your favourite authors to read?
I’m always loving the book I’m currently reading best. Which right now is one called The Midwife of Hope River: A Novel of an American Midwife
I’m also enjoying a bunch of Christmas stories right now, by Melissa McClone, Debra Salonen, Megan Crane, Jane Porter, plus the Riverbend series by Lilian Darcy… oh see what you started?
Any standout titles you would recommend to get people started?
Read Montana Cowboy (Big Sky Mavericks Book 2)
Connect with Roxanne online:
- www.roxannesnopek.ca
- www.facebook.com/RoxanneSnopekAuthor
- on Twitter @RoxanneSnopek
***
I hope you enjoyed meeting Roxanne! I look forward to introducing you to more great authors in the coming weeks.
If you are a published romance author who would like to be interviewed, let me know via the contact form and we’ll get you scheduled in.
