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Read some interviews from past editions:
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S.J. Stewart
June, 2008
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Zelda Benjamin
April, 2008
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Shirley Marks
December, 2007
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Donna Wright
December, 2007
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Carolyn Brown
August, 2007
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Roni Denholtz
June, 2007
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Tara Randel
April, 2007
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Sydell Voeller
February, 2007
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Sheila Robins
December, 2006
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Ann Holt
October, 2006
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Cynthia Danielewski
July, 2006
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Jane McBride Choate
March, 2006
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Kathryn Meyer Griffith
January, 2006
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Mel Taylor
November, 2005
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Kathleen Fuller
September, 2005
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Tracey J. Lyons
July, 2005
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Ludima Gus Burton
May, 2005
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Holly Jacobs
March, 2005
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Sandra D. Bricker
January, 2005
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Kathryn Quick
November, 2004
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Cheri Jetton
September, 2004
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Heather S. Webber
July, 2004
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Karl Fieldhouse
May, 2004
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Ilsa Mayr
January, 2004
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Kathy Carmichael
November, 2003
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Dorothy P. O'Neill
July, 2003
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Joani Ascher
May, 2003
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Patricia DeGroot
March, 2003
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Nancy J. Parra
January, 2003
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Barbara Meyers
November, 2002
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Christine Bush
September, 2002
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Debby Mayne
July, 2002
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Jean C. Gordon
May, 2002
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Charles E. Friend
March, 2002
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Norma Seely
January, 2002
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Glen Ebisch
November, 2001
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Gina Cresse
September, 2001
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John Paxson
July, 2001
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Terri Alcock
May, 2001
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Clifford Blair
March, 2001
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Amanda Harte
January, 2001
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Kent Conwell
November, 2000
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Carolyn Brown
September, 2000
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Annette Mahon
July, 2000
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Marjorie McGinley
May, 2000
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Jack Lewis
March, 2000
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Amanda Harte
January, 2000
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Joyce and Jim Lavene
November, 1999
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Return to the current Author! Author! interview:
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Sherry Lynn Ferguson
August, 2008
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Author! Author!: March, 2004
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Click on images to learn more about these books.
An Interview with
Shelley
Galloway |
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How long have you been writing and how long did it take to get published?
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I’ve been writing for 5 years. I sold the third manuscript I wrote to Avalon.
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How do you name your characters?
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Sometimes the names just come to me. For example, I loved the names of my hero and heroine in The Love Letter, Marshall and Millicent, from the very beginning. I loved the idea of them both having ‘M’ names. I also use a great book titled, Beyond Jennifer and Jason, Madison and Montana. (St. Martins Press,1999) It’s a baby naming book, but it puts names in all sorts of categories, such as ethnic background, or the top ten names of 1930. My critique partners would also say I’m notorious for changing characters’ names, too!
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Where do you get your ideas for plots?
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I’ve had a lot fun utilizing some of my town’s history for my Finding Love series. Since I’ve strived to include historical details and intertwine them with the plots of my contemporary romances, I’ve picked major events in my town to draw from. For example, in my first novel, Finding Love’s Fortune, I had heard that a Confederate band of raiders had gone through Southern Ohio during the Civil War. After reading more about that event, I found out that one lady buried all of her valuables in the backyard for safe keeping. I intertwined that story with the romance of Mary Beth and Cameron in my novel. In Finding Love’s Fortune, Mary Beth and Cameron are on a treasure hunt for a missing strongbox.
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What is the hardest part of writing?
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I love to write, and I write every morning as soon as my children go off to school. So, that part is never tough for me. By far, the hardest part for me is waiting to hear from editors to hear what they thought of my stories.
The best thing I do while I’m waiting is...write another book!
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How do you develop your characters?
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In several ways. Sometimes I cut out pictures from magazines and keep a notebook about my characters. For example, for The Love Letter, I cut out historical pictures of outfits that Millicent might have worn. I also read a diary from a lady who lived in 1890’s Colorado, which is where the book takes place. Also, I always make charts about their goals and dreams. For my Finding Love Series, I had a big family tree posted on my office wall. For two years, I just kept adding details about each character. Those details really helped with writing the series. When I finished Finding Love in Payton, which is the last of the series, I took it down. I can’t believe how much I miss seeing all those characters on my wall every day
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What can you tell us about your latest book for Avalon?
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My latest book is titled Finding Love in Payton, and it’s one of my favorites. Two romances are in this book! The main love story centers around Jeremy, the youngest member of the Reece family, and Dinah, a widowed mom of a two year old. They overcome a lot of obstacles in order to make their relationship work. The second romance revolves around Payton Chase, who has been a character in all of my novels since Finding Love’s Future. His romance is more comic, and was very fun to write. They are also all involved in a Civil War Reenactment, which was fun to write, as well.
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Are you working on anything else for Avalon?
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I’m working on a historical series set in the 1930’s. It’s a trilogy, and involves another treasure hunt...this time over three books! The search takes three women from Cincinnati to Chicago to the rural Ohio. There’s gangsters and bootleggers and dances and references to 1930’s Hollywood too.
I also have a contemporary novel set in Texas, which is where I grew up.
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Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? Or for anyone wanting to
submit to Avalon?
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This might sound silly, but I think the best thing to do if you’re an aspiring author is to read. Each genre and publishing house has its own tone. Find the publisher which is a good match for you, and then read as many of the books as you can to see what kind of books they’re buying.
As soon as I read Debby Mayne’s first book, Lessons in Love, I knew I really liked Avalon Books. After that, I ordered several books on-line, and checked out several from the library, too. Soon after I read all of those novels, I began writing Finding Love’s Fortune.
Another piece of good advice is to be open to suggestions. I’ve received lots of rejection letters from both agents and editors during the past five years. Each time they took the time to offer suggestions for improvement, I took it seriously. Writing well is a skill that can only improve with practice.
And my last bit of advice is probably the most important...don’t give up. I know it’s tough to carve out time each day to write. And to wait. And to receive rejections and revision letters. But it’s all so worth it. Believe in yourself, and think positive!
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