Spotlight Author with Carla Neggers

I’m back from Vegas with a little less money in my pocket, a few more pounds on my behind, and a lot of sleep to catch up on! Oh and I’m one year older!!!! But I am back and in my return I have brought my next Spotlight Author… Carla Neggers! So take a few minutes to hang out with us and see what’s going on in Carla’s life.

Carla, tell us about your latest release THE WHISPER.

THE WHISPER has everything that excites me as a writer—action, adventure, suspense, a great love story. Ah. It was so much fun to dive in when I was working on this book! Boston detective Cyrus "Scoop" Wisdom and archaeologist Sophie Malone go after missing Celtic treasure and a killer using ancient rituals to commit modern-day murder.


Some writers say that they have a story that has to be told others say that the characters come to them and demand that their story be told… how does it work for you?


I've had stories and characters come to me in a variety of ways. Scoop Wisdom in THE WHISPER appears in the previous three books of this loosely connected series: THE WIDOW, THE ANGEL and THE MIST. In THE MIST, he's injured in a bomb blast. Now he's recovered and looking for the person who planted the bomb. So I already knew a lot about him. Sophie, however—she's a brand-new character. I could see her wandering up to the Irish ruin where she meets Scoop in the first chapter. I got to know her from that initial scene.


What are you working on now?


I just finished proofreading COLD DAWN, the third book in my paperback original series set in the fictional town of Black Falls, Vermont. It'll be out on October 26! Rose Cameron—the youngest and the only sister of the four Cameron siblings—and California smoke jumper Nick Martini go after a serial arsonist. I love the sense of beauty and danger of a cold northern New England winter…


Did you receive rejection letters during your journey to become published? If yes what is your best advice to someone who’s received their first one?


I don't know a single writer who's never been rejected. I try to remember that a rejection means "no, thanks." It doesn't mean you can't write, you'll never sell, you're finished or even that this particular project is doomed. Carry on!


How long was your road to becoming a published author?


I guess it depends when you want to start the clock. Even as a kid, I'd climb a tree with pad and pen to write. I got serious after my first child was born. I was lucky in that the first agent I contacted took me on. She was enthusiastic and protective, encouraging me to continue to write while she sent out my manuscript. I sold about a year later. That first book eventually sold, but it wasn't the first book I sold. ;-)


Do you have any advice or writing secrets for aspiring authors?


Don't wait to sell a book to be happy. Be happy now! Enjoy writing and working toward your creative and professional goals. It's easy in life to put off being happy until we achieve XYZ.


Where do you see yourself in five years?


Writing books I love to write!


What are you reading right now? If nothing at the moment then what do you like to read when you have time?


I almost always have several books I'm reading at once. Right now, I'm reading SEA OF GLORY by Nathaniel Philbrick and THE HYPNOTIST by MJ Rose. I just finished Stella Cameron's paranormal romantic suspense trilogy. I'm just home after more than two weeks on the road—I have a huge TBR pile I plan to tackle in the shade of our old sugar maple!


When you aren’t writing what do you do in your spare time?


I love to garden, hike, kayak, cook, travel and spend time with my family. I have a big family! My husband and I just got back from two weeks hiking on the southwest Irish coast. Fantastic! I'm still putting up photos on my photo blog.


All time favorite book or character (either of your own or someone else’s) and why?
I truly don't have one favorite, although I often will pick up a Nero Wolfe mystery to read—Rex Stout is one of my "comfort reads," especially the stories set in the 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s. I'm also rereading Mary Stewart novels. I love her characters!


I want to thank you Carla for stopping by my blog and letting me pick your brain. If you would like to find out more about Carla and her books you can find them at…www.carlaneggers.com


Thanks for stopping by Micole Writes Romance! See you next week!

Hugs

Micole