Here is part II of an Interview with Virginia Henley.
Cat- Do you have any advice for beginning writers in regards to writing a book?
Virginia Henley- Yes. When I started there were no networks to help you get started. Today you should belong to RWA, Romance Writers of America, and join a local chapter in your area. You will learn the craft, but more importantly, the business end of a writing career. Then you should have a subscription to Romantic Times. Both have a yearly conference where a beginning writer can meet other writers, publishers, editors, agents, booksellers, librarians and distributors. Romance writers are very generous and will answer any question a beginner has.
Cat- Tell us about the latest release. Is it part of a series? Does it stand alone? What inspired you to write it?
V.H. - THE IRISH DUKE is the second book in a series that began with THE DECADENT DUKE. Regency is probably the favorite period of readers, and I wanted to show what the REAL nobility was like in Regency times. All my books stand alone, and you do not need to read THE DECADENT DUKE to read and enjoy THE IRISH DUKE. It is simply about the next generation. The third and final book in the series will be THE DARK EARL and it's about the next generation set in the Victorian era.
This month the mass-market release of my anthology story in LORDS OF DESIRE is released. The trade-size came out last year. My short story is a time travel that goes back one hundred years from Victorian times to the bawdy Georgina era, when smuggling was rampant near Bodiam Castle on the River Rother.
Cat- What do you love about writing? Hate about it?
V.H. - I love doing the research and trying to make it authentic. I love creating characters. I create the strongest male I can think of, then create a female who is a match for him, or more than a match! I hate that I have to work weekends when my chapter isn't finished. Also, publishing is a brutal business that will break your heart, destroy your confidence, and eat your soul. I usually have a nervous breakdown with each book. Then I get over myself.
Cat- Do you ever get up at 3 a.m. just to write?
V.H.- Never. I am not driven.
Cat- Where can readers go on the net to find more on your books and anything else?
V.H. - My website is www.virginiahenley.com. But recently I Googled myself and was amazed at the information they had. They did get the number of books written wrong. I believe they said 18 when in actuality I have written 26 and 4 short stories.
To Be Continued... http://romanticheartsandsexytarts.blogspot.com
