How would you describe growing up in Washington State and California? What are the major differences in terms of way of life between the two places?
My experience growing up in Seattle was that we operated in about a five-mile radius. It was much more compact, whereas in Sacramento, you’d find yourself driving fifty miles in an evening just to run errands. Also, given that I transitioned from Washington to California at age twenty-one, it seemed like we grew up a lot faster in Washington. Young adults seemed to stay with their families longer in California. But this was the 80s and 90s, a long time ago!
Did you always have a clear sight of what you wanted to be when you grew up? Did it take a lot of convincing your parents to take creative writing as a major in the University of Washington? Or were they always supportive of your dream?
I dreamed of becoming a writer at age seven, but didn’t know how to build a story into a complete vision until much later. My parents didn’t care about my degree as long as I had a back-up plan to the creative life. I took a lot of statistics classes and ended up with a computer programmer job right after college, which wasn’t easy during that circa 1990 recession. The backup plan worked!
Why do you think many authors begin writing at an older age and don't get the change to have a major in literature like you did?
I don’t really know how much good my English/Creative Writing degree really did me, as I was focused on poetry back then. Later, I went back and did a commercial writing certificate at the same university, and that taught me a lot more. Writers often wait until “later” to get going because there is so much to do when you’re young – career, dating, family-starting. If you’re working all day and going out every evening, when do you write? Also, it takes time to determine your priorities. When I wrote my first novel at age 26, it was a conscious decision to follow my dream instead of just letting time drip through my hands.
What was the first book you ever published? If you were given the chance to go back in time and change or edit anything about it, would you?
Cards Never Lie was my first published novel, after selling some short stories. It’s still available, albeit from a different publisher. It has a lot of the DNA of me in it, but it ended up as a standalone novel. I probably would have preferred to start with something that naturally became a series.
What was the idea that started The Krinar Chronicles? Did you incorporate the ideas or input of any of your friends or family in any parts of the story?
The Krinar Chronicles were dreamed up by author Anna Zaires. I was one of the authors Amazon picked to write stories set in Anna’s amazing science fiction universe. I borrowed her technology and aliens invading Earth world to craft my story, Krinar Revenge. In June I will release Krinar Solace, my second foray into the Krinar Chronicles.
When you think "steampunk", what do you think of? What are some boundaries or new ideas that you test in the Steampunk Smugglers book series? Who are the characters Linet Fenna and Captain Andrews inspired by?
I think of steampunk as gritty, technology-oriented, Victorian drama. Linet is my favorite name and I wanted to write a really cool, epic love story for a girl with my favorite name. I was saving this name forever, but when I realized I would never have a daughter, I gave it to a character. The story was very popular amongst romantic steampunk fans and I continue to be very proud of it.
What is the central theme behind the Redcakes series? What is something similar about all the female protagonists in this series? Which one do you relate the most to?
Can I just say pastry? This series came out of watching way too many cake decorating shows. All my heroines in the series are pushing the boundaries of late Victorian womanhood. They are trying to be more than just the wife/mothers of their parents’ generation. I wanted to develop every character in my Redcakes world instead of relying on stereotypes, which is probably why the series ran so long. Lewis was a fan favorite of my heroes, so Lady Victoria Allen-Hill, my virgin widow, might be my favorite heroine. My Grand Russe series, set in the 1920s, is an offshoot of the Redcakes, with heroines who are a secretary, a hotel maid, and a hotel supervisor.
How do you go about creating the handsome and charming men of your books? If you could date any one for them, who would you pick and why?
My favorite hero ever was a Depression-era farmer in a novel I never finished writing, because time travels set in Iowa just don’t sell. It did well in contests though. Oh, how I loved him…but I think the key to any hero is simply passion. Something needs to make them come alive and want things…even if it is just pastry, LOL. Lord Hatbrook, the hero of The Marquess of Cake, really comes into view wanting just that. Of course, his life has lots of other complications, or he wouldn’t have his own novel.
How do you normally do research for your books and how long does this process usually take?
It takes years, because I am doing background research for different time periods to spark ideas. I do a lot of non-fiction reading of books and period fiction. I then hit up the internet a lot when I’m actually drafting. Some books allow me to really dig into period newspapers as well. I also use art and photography.
Why did you choose the 20s as the setting for your book "I Wanna Be Loved by You"? Besides "The Great Gatsby". what are some 1920s inspired novels or movies that you really love?
I chose the 1920s because my publisher asked me to give it a try. At the time, I had no idea I had Russian ancestors in London in that time period. What a fun thing to discover. I love the mystery fiction of the time period. It was a golden age for crime novels, like Agatha Christie, and modern authors love to set books in the 1920s, particularly mysteries, to try to recapture that feel. I’ve read authors like Carola Dunn and Jacqueline Winspear. Most everything I’ve read in the past few years is listed on my Goodreads account and readers can investigate there. I’ve also enjoyed reading magazines, both English and American, of those years.
What motivates you to write everyday? How do you keep it interesting and from becoming another 9-5 job?
I am a busy mom, so it is a privilege when I can get my kid to school and actually write. It keeps me sane! But you know, writing is a job and has to be treated as such, rather than some magical thing. Research makes me happy. I also like to take a break and tell myself that I have to find an idea from my leisure time – like if I stop to watch a movie it has to help me with a piece of character development in what I’m writing.
Which of your couples do you think is the most dysfunctional, but in a good way? Which one describes your current relationship the best?
Lord Judah Shield and Magdalene Cross come to mind, from One Taste of Scandal. Magdalene is genuinely an aristocratic snob, and Judah has learned he is a bastard, so they are a real mismatch. Luckily, I crafted a great hero in Judah, and the book continues to be popular among readers. Given that I’ve been with my husband going on sixteen years, I can’t imagine which one would describe my relationship. New love, compared to long term, settled love, is hard to match up!
Are you a resolution making kind of person? If so, what are some goals you've set for yourself for the year 2018? What about the next 5 years?
2018 is the year my first mystery novel comes out, A Tale of Two Murders, by Heather Redmond (my new pen name). My plan is to “double-down” on the historical fiction I’m known for and to keep writing books set in the nineteenth century. I’ve just turned in Grave Expectations, my second mystery, and if I can ever get the kid back into school (we’re in snow cancellations right now) I’m looking forward to starting mystery #3! So in the next five years, I do want to build up the new side of my career. Mystery is being good to me. I’ve already sold audio and large print rights to the series, which stars a young Charles Dickens as an amateur sleuth.
