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| Artful Dodging... |
Welcome to Romance Lives Forever! What is the most
important thing you do for your career now, as compared to when you first
started writing?
That’s easy: promote. When my first book came out my promotion
consisted of emails to my friends and family. When I discovered that people who
know you well may hesitate to read your 3-flame, spicy hot romance, I began to
explore other avenues. Through the promotion I’ve built a network of author
friends and support that is more valuable than anything else I do. Shameless
plug: Marketing for Romance Writers has been invaluable in learning about all
the marketing tools available & I’ve taken advantage of all of them. Next
on the bucket list is attending a conference.
What websites do you visit daily?
I check Yahoo, Facebook, my blog, then usually news sources
like Real Clear Politics and Drudge (I’m a news junkie). Rather than go to
different websites, I check my yahoo groups and click through to any post that sounds
interesting or important. If I have a guest post somewhere I’ll check that
several times a day to answer comments.
If you could change something about your first book, what
would it be?
I had to reread Lost in His Arms recently for the print
version, so it’s fresh in my mind. I’d definitely cut back on the amount of
italics. My heroines tend to be introspective, but I’ve learned that too much
thinking makes Jack a dull boy. Otherwise, it’s still not a bad story!
What do you enjoy most about life?
I love being active enough to get out and do things—parasailing,
kayaking, birding, swimming, traveling. Most of all, I love that I’m able to
pursue my writing unencumbered by a full-time job.
If you could choose anyone to be your mentor who would it
be?
I’d love to sit and listen to Dorothy Parker, but I’m afraid
I’d be too frightened to open my mouth. Samuel Johnson, because he was so
precise in his words and thinking, would force me to be concise and focused
(“Clear your mind of cant.”). Or maybe Lynne Truss (author of Eats, Shoots and
Leaves). Hmm, is there a theme building here? I’d like a mentor who kept me
short, sharp and pointed.
Do things your family or friends do ever end up in a
book?
How could they not? Everything that happens can become a
story. I do try to shuffle the plot, setting, and characters so as to protect
the innocent.
What are some jobs you've done before (or while) you were
a writer?
Whew, a LOT. My first real job after college I worked at a
magazine in Boston, Electric Light & Power, where I learned about nuclear
energy (I’m still a big proponent). A favorite job was doing research on
Islamic architecture for a professor at Harvard. Then there was the fiasco in
Paris, when I worked for a travel agent who set up a youth hostel in a hotel,
but didn’t bother to find out that the hotel charged guests LESS than the
hostel! I’ve run a multi-thousand-dollar charity book sale, converted a public school
district library collection to computer, raised perfect children, worked for
the Bureau of Reclamation that sent me flying (literally) down the Colorado
River & into the bowels of Hoover Dam, huddled in the stacks of the Library
of Congress…all right, maybe I should save the rest for later.
Which of your books would you recommend to someone who
doesn't normally read your genre, and why?
Actually, all of them. I try to incorporate elements of
mystery, humor and intrigue in my novels, as well as provide a setting that
makes the reader want to “go there.” My books are set in Washington DC, Maine,
Florida, Chincoteague, Old Town Alexandria, Paris, Chablis, and Strasbourg.
What kind of books do you read when taking a break from
your own writing?
I like biographies, history, English mystery writers and
humorists.
What do you think is the future of epublishing?
Huge. I chose to submit my first novel to a digital
publisher because I felt that, with the ubiquity of screens and the younger
people who are comfortable reading on them, ebooks would be the wave of the
future. Most statistics bear me out. Ebooks are portable, easy to read, and
cheap. The fact that royalties are better and submission a breeze is just
gravy.
Imagine you get to go on a dream vacation, but you have
only one hour to pack and leave, and it starts as soon as you finish this
interview. What will you take with you and where will you go?
It would be to Florence, because I’ve never been there and
of course once you’ve read the Agony and the Ecstasy Florence is a necessary
bucket list item. I happen to have a large bin where I keep all my travel
necessities, so packing would be a cinch. Necessary items: a crossword puzzle,
my netbook, my Kindle, my pills (sigh), glasses, pens, underwear, 2 travel
dresses, slip-on walking shoes, and several airplane-sized whiskies. Oh, and
passport.
Where were you at midnight, on December 31st when the new
century started?
In my old house in Arlington, with many of my friends and my
husband and children around me. Our “playgroup” (which still exists even with
the kids grown) always gathered for the New Year’s—I miss that!
What do you like to do when you're bored?
I’m almost never bored—there are too many things to do. If I
feel fidgety, I’ll walk or swim or do laundry; otherwise I’m at my laptop
writing. Well, to be honest, I spend a little time checking email and Facebook
and now, thanks to the friendly folks at Marketing for Romance Writers (you
know who you are), on Pinterest.
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| Lost in His Arms |
If your life became a movie, who would you want to play
you?
Katharine Hepburn. How regal she was. What a chin!
If you were a color, what color would you be?
I’m not sure. Fire engine red is a color I never get bored
with, but on the other hand, it really clashes with my fair skin. So I’d have
to go with coral—brings out the pink in my cheeks and sets off my blue eyes and
generally makes me feel younger. I like it on other people and roses too.
Please Fill in the Blanks
I love pizza with anchovies, jalapenos, and really good
Italian sausage or hot capicolla, medium thick crust and extra tomato sauce.
I'm always ready for a new horizon.
When I'm alone, I write.
You'd never be able to tell, but I’m shorter than I used
to be.
If I had a halo it would be invisible.
If I could find a friend able and willing I'd take
a Viking river cruise to St. Petersburg.
I can never visit the cave paintings at Altamira and
Lascaux because I have claustrophobia.
Latest Release
Book title: Artful Dodging: The Torpedo Factory Murders
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense/Murder Mystery; M/F
Buy links:
Publisher: Released April 24, 2012 by Secret Cravings
Publishing
ISBN 978-1-61885-250-2
ASIN: B007X3S552
Print: ISBN/EAN13: 1618853260 / 9781618853264 (7/6/2012)
Cover artist: Dawné Dominique
Length (words): 65,000 words
Heat rating: Heat rating: 2 flames, R
Tagline:
Murders, mistrust, misfits, and miscreants—needlepoint
artist Milo Everhart has her hands full. Can love bloom in the midst of chaos?
What are your main characters' names?
Milo Everhart and
Tristram Brodie
Ages?
Thirties
Occupations?
She’s a needlepoint artist and he is a lawyer.
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| MS Spencer Tale Spinner |
Blurb:
Waiting out the rain, Milo Everhart takes stock of her
widowhood and the handsome man standing in the door to the bar. Little does she
know she will meet that man again and again under both passionate and
terrifying circumstances.
Tristram Brody waits for his date, too conscious of the
beautiful woman sitting by the door. Little does he know that she will hate him
for trying to destroy her beloved art center, and even suspect him of murder.
Nor that she will be drawn inevitably into his arms.
Little does either of them suspect they will be embroiled in
not one, but two murders, in which the fate of the Torpedo Factory, an art
center housed in an old munitions factory on the waterfront in Old Town
Alexandria, will be decided.
Reviews:
From You Gotta Read Reviews:
“M.S. Spencer has written a good murder-suspense romance,
Artful Dodging, driven not just by multiple corpses and bewildering clues, but
by sparkling wit and earthy, believable love scenes.”
From Erin O’Quinn at Amazon:
Artful Dodging is a hot read--a mystery with a plausible,
tantalizing romance that literally had me at "hello."
Excerpt: Artful Dodging: First Date (PG)
The sleet had tapered off, and the moon began its stroll
across the cumulus highway as Milo entered the restaurant. She passed through
the dining room to the cozy bar in the back. Tristram sat in one of the
overstuffed club chairs. He saw her and waved to the bartender.
“Jack Daniels?”
“Sure.”
He ordered drinks and a plate of assorted cheeses.
Three hours, four more rounds, and two more cheese plates
later, Milo figured she’d better start asking Tristram some questions. But she
didn’t really feel like it. She felt like she knew enough already, so she
settled for gazing into his deep green eyes and smiling inanely. Which was okay
because apparently that’s what Tristram had settled for too. Milo realized with
a jolt that no one had said anything for at least five minutes. Come on, Milo.
You’re too old for crushes.
“I really must be going. It’s been very…”
He reached across the table, put a gentle hand on her neck,
and brought her into blissful contact with his lips. “Nice.”
She realigned her jaw and her heart and rose a little
shakily. “Um.”
He jumped up. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
“I…okay.”
They walked stiffly out of the bar, stumbling only once on
the threshold. Tristram steadied her. A few minutes later they broke apart to
take a breath. The sidewalk had cleared during the evening, and they were
alone. He took her back into his arms and kissed her, moving his tongue around
the inside of her lips and making slurping noises as though she tasted like a
chocolate milkshake.
He pulled away but held onto her hand. “Let’s go home.”
She let him lead her down King Street to a black Jaguar, and
they drove in silence the few blocks to Lee Street. The moon rode high over a
little terraced park. They watched it float a minute, then Tristram took her
hand again and they went inside.
Keywords:
Torpedo Factory Art Center; Old Town Alexandria; Mystery;
Alexandria, Virginia, Artists
Current Books:
Lost in His Arms, international intrigue and romance in the
swirling 1990s (ebook & print) http://is.gd/oB0dF1
Lost and Found, love and lust in the wilds of Maine
Losers Keepers, rekindled romance and murder on Chincoteague
(ebook & print)
Triptych, lost artworks, jealousy, sex, larceny and genius
(ebook & print) http://is.gd/OgYbSo
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| MS Spencer |
Books Coming Soon:
My WIP Mai Tais & Mayhem: Murder at Mote Marine: a
Sarasota Romance was just accepted for publication by my fabulous publisher
Secret Cravings. Set in Sarasota, Florida, our heroine Tessa Diamond must deal
with murder, romance, turtles, pigs, parrots, and a big fish: who says love
can’t conquer all? Tentative release date: January 2013.
My second WIP: Lapses of Memory: Love in the Air is a
romantic story of two people who meet every few years on an airplane as love
(not to mention flight technology) grows. It is in final pre-submission edits.
Contacts:
Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/M.S.SpencerAuthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/msspencerauthor
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/M.S.-Spencer/e/B002ZOEUC8/
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/msspencer
