Q&A with Author Natalie Charles: The Burden of Desire

I've been looking forward to this interview since I first read this manuscript more than a year ago, and it is an honor to be chatting once again with my oldest friend and critique partner, Natalie Charles, on her captivating and highly entertaining new release, THE BURDEN OF DESIRE.

Former lovers become partners in Natalie Charles's new novel of the perfect crime…

On the eve of trial, prosecutor Sally Dawson has all the evidence she needs to convict a man of killing his wife—until the "victim" reappears. Now, alone and pregnant, to save her career she must trust the very man who broke her heart—her sworn enemy, Ben McNamara.

The case confounds Ben, a former marine JAG, but not the attraction budding between him and Sally. Their mutual desire never died. Can Ben prove to her that he's a changed man? He may never get the chance, because the closer Sally gets to the surprising truth, the closer she gets to a desperate killer….

AMAZON  | Barnes & Noble



Congrats on your new release, THE BURDEN OF DESIRE. Can you tell us a little about the book? 

Prosecutor Sally Dawson is having the worst day of her life. Not only is she stuck working with her ex, Ben McNamara, but the murder case she was working on has just blown up in her face. To save the job she loves, she needs to swallow her pride and accept help from the man who broke her heart. Sally is certain of three things: she works best alone, she's done with men, and she despises the arrogant Ben…so how is it that working with him calls all three of those convictions into question?

Where did the inspiration for this book come from? 

I've been a little obsessed with forensics for years, and I once watched something about a real-life case in which a man was successfully tried for murder when no one could find the victim's body. My immediate thought was, What if the fail-proof forensic science was all wrong? From there, I developed the suspense part of the book. 
 

As for the romance…after my daughter was born, I joined a group to socialize with other new moms and met a single woman who'd conceived her baby through intrauterine insemination. Of course I listened with rapt attention as she explained the process of choosing a father for her child, and then she kind of shrugged and said, "I figured I wasn't getting any younger, and it was now or never." It was such a bold, brave statement, and I knew at that moment that I had to write this book.

This is your second novel. In what ways was the writing experience different than with the first? 

I found the experience of writing the second book extremely difficult. Maybe that's because I wrote my first book after winning a competition, but I had this anxiety that I was a one-hit wonder. It reached a point where I struggled with every single word, imagining the manuscript collecting dust in a drawer. I resisted writing, and then when I neared the end, I resisted finishing. If my editor, Rachel, hadn't prodded me for another manuscript, I'm not sure how long I would have taken. Now that it's finished, I love the book, but I was experiencing second book syndrome every step of the way.

Now that you have your debut under your belt, do you feel like a "real" writer? 

In my mind, real writers lounge by the pool and breezily work on their manuscripts. My process is more like pounding coffee and staying up too late just to get another 500 words in. Real writers are much more glamorous in my mind than I could ever hope to be.

Is there a particular character or scene that you most connect with in this story?
 

I do love Sally. I'm not nearly as dramatic as she is (maybe some would disagree…) but I relate to her struggle to assert herself and be taken seriously in a tough profession.

You're a lawyer by day, and your procedural knowledge shines through in your books. Can you tell us how your professional training has changed the way you approach your creative work? 

Law school teaches you about the power of words. Lawyers analyze commas and obsess over meaning and intent, and I'm in a job where we get downright pedantic about language. Words matter. I call on my professional training to understand how lawyers might approach a case or a problem, but I think that most of my training appears behind the scenes, where I edit my work like crazy.

THE BURDEN OF DESIRE has some page-turning plot twists. When you sit down to brainstorm a new book, which comes first, the suspense or the romance? 

They kind of evolve together, to be honest. Some days, the romance is easier to write and I focus on that, and other days the suspense comes easier. I enjoy shifting between the two plots and playing one off the other. As for plot twists, I've always started off knowing whodunit. Getting my characters to figure it out is a completely different matter. I'm never quite sure how that will happen.

Tell us, why is your hero the perfect man for your heroine? 

Ben is Sally's worst nightmare. He is the person who out-performed her in law school, broke her heart, and now threatens to displace her in her workplace. Ben also sees right through Sally's armor to her essence, and this, more than anything, terrifies her. It's what Ben does with that power that makes him perfect for Sally. I hate to give specifics because I don't want to spoil the book, but let's just say that Ben spends the entire book surprising Sally.

What are you working on now and what can readers look forward to reading by you next?

My next book for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, When No One is Watching, will be out in September. Aside from that, I'm currently working on something a little different – one of those projects that has been haunting me for years, so I need to get it out of my system. I promise I'll make an announcement as soon as I am able to share more details!

You can find out more about Natalie's books on her website, www.nataliecharlesromance.com. 
 

Q&A with SYTYCW Finalist Jan Schliesman

I was thrilled to be asked to mentor Harlequin's 2013 So You Think You Can Write finalist Jan Schliesman. Jan is the only finalist writing romantic suspense -- the subgenre nearest and dearest to my heart. Every writer has a journey, right? I invited Jan to the Hot Seat to talk about hers.

Welcome, Jan! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Thanks for having me on your blog, Natalie.  I’m originally from eastern Iowa and currently reside in Wichita, Kansas.  I believe in love at first sight because I met my future husband, Tim, while working as a bank teller.  One look and I knew he was the one. He, on the other hand, waited several months before asking me out. We’ve been married for twenty-five years and have three kids: Jalynn, Tanner and Karlee. I worked for five years as a police dispatcher, which sent me back to college. I earned my criminal justice degree in 2012 and really thought I’d get another chance to dispatch but the crazy hours aren’t conducive to a family life.  I currently work at a jewelry store and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be my last day job;)

Can you tell us about your manuscript, Kira's Keeper?

Kira’s Keeper is a romantic suspense story.  My heroine, Kira Kincaid, works as an insurance investigator and has always believed in playing by the rules and doing the right thing. Then she’s arrested for embezzling from the government’s Medicare program after a large sum of money is found in an old bank account.  Her almost ex-husband, Joshua Kincaid, swore the account had been closed right after their marriage and now she needs to track him down.  Without his help to clear her name, she’ll end up in prison.

Dalton Matthews, CEO for Buckshot’s Coffee, has been hiding out in the woods for over a year. After his wife’s suicide, the overzealous paparazzi are fighting for any picture of him in exile. When Kira arrives at his cabin, he’s certain she’s motivated by dollar signs. Then an attempt is made on her life and he’s forced into action. But his plan to turn her over to the police is derailed when she insists she’s married to his brother…his dead brother. The last thing his family needs is another headline.

But when a second attempt is made on her life he’s torn. Should he walk away from the woman who’s succeeded in dredging up a few family secrets? Or should he believe the danger surrounding her is real and remain Kira’s Keeper?

Every writer's journey has ups and downs. What has yours been like so far?

I started writing in 1997. I got a subscription to Writer’s Digest magazine and purchased several books on writing. I found a nearby writer’s group, Heart of Iowa Fiction Authors. To show how determined I was, I drove seventy miles (one way) on a Thursday night to attend a meeting!  My kids were little and it required a lot of planning.  But the gals I met were all very enthusiastic and welcoming. I brought along part of the story I had started and no one laughed at me, even though it was single spaced on lavender paperJ  I tried to learn as much as I could and attended my first RWA national conference in Chicago in 1999. Although determination was high, I was also dealing with a child with autism and his needs frequently outweighed anything else.  In 2003, I attended the New York conference and came home with a new attitude. I could do this!  Discipline was all I needed.  Tanner had his first seizure three weeks later while I was working as a police dispatcher.  I still get chills thinking about the 911 call from my husband.  Our family relocated to Iowa City to be closer to a hospital that could treat him.  As you can guess, writing was the furthest thing from my mind.  It was the fall of 2008 before I really got serious about writing again. I entered chapter contests and won my first award in 2009---I got an email while sitting in a Laundromat in Wichita, a week after my husband took a promotion. The next year I took second place in the Daphne’s, along with a request for my full manuscript. It took me six months, but I got it polished and sent in. I started writing a new story and entering contests again, but as any parent of a special needs child can tell you, working outside the home is sometimes your only salvation. I also wanted to finish my degree, and everything seemed to be vying for my attention. I returned to college full-time, took a job as a 911 call taker, and then received a revision request on Kira’s Keeper.  Three more months and I sent the revisions.  In May 2012, I graduated from college and received a second revision request, this one telling me that the romantic suspense line had increased to 70,000 words.  More writing and revising before I stumbled upon a writer’s loop that turned out to be my ultimate support.  And I don’t know if I’d call it a total rewrite (nods headJ), but I finally got it finished last spring and started a new story.  Evidently I’m getting a little better at this writing thing because my second book won the Sheila contest in August and is a finalist in the Golden Pen.  I had this brilliant plan to enter my new story in the SYTYCW contest, when another author suggested I stick with Kira’s Keeper.  Really?  I stalled a bit before entering and was so disappointed when I didn’t make the Top 50.  Yes, you read that correctly…I didn’t make the Top 50!  It took me a week to get over the disappointment, and then the next day I received an email stating another spot had opened up and requesting my book by Friday. I made that deadline with the support of my Texas ladies: Angi Morgan, Jen FitzGerald and Sarah Cannon.  I also started calling myself Magic #51!  Because someone in the initial 50 hadn’t been able to meet their deadline, I was granted another chance.  Imagine my shock when I made it into the Top 10!  So, there’s my story.  Sixteen years of writing brought me to this point, along with some amazing highs and bottomless lows.  I have a bulletin board above my desk with lots of important phrases written on index cards.  My favorite: Determination Trumps Talent.

In addition to being a writer, you're a wife and a mother. How do you find balance?

Balance?  That’s a tough question.  For many years I didn’t feel like I balanced things very well.  Other writers made it look easy and I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. But when you have kids, especially one with special needs, they have to come first. Everyone has a different path and different challenges.  Feeling like a real author was a big turning point for me.  When our youngest moved to the college dorms, I took over one of the bedrooms for my office.  My hubby painted the walls red and I have an official “wall of fame”.  I’ve gotten used to interruptions but I’ve also learned to ignore a lot of things.  I am never going to have a perfect life so I don’t know why I ever thought that my writing world had to be perfect or I couldn’t function. Sometimes I’m in my office and if the words aren’t flowing, I move to another room and switch to my laptop. I also say no a lot now.  I have to write.  No one else is going to do it for me.  No one else has invested what I’ve invested.  There are still days where everything doesn’t work out the way I wish it would, but tomorrow is another chance to get it right.

Where do you find inspiration?

I got a lot of great story ideas while working for the police department and through my college classes.  Sometimes a single line of dialogue will pop into my head and it’s enough to write an entire scene. If my day is going well, I might get a few pages down where my heroine is overcoming an obstacle. If nothing is going right in my real world, I’ll escape to my current story and write an emotional scene. If I’m angry…I’m gonna have to kill somebody off! I’ve also gotten many ideas from brainstorming with other authors.

You can check out Jan's entry, Kira's Keeper, right here. Don't forget to vote for your favorite entry! Voting closes November 25.

Adventures in Outlining, Part II, by Natalie Charles

Remember when I said I was a pantser who wanted to give outlining a shot? These days, I'm a pantser who must outline to maintain her sanity and keep her word count goals on track.

I was a victim of Second Book Syndrome, during which I was nearly paralyzed by self-doubt. For that book (The Burden of Desire), I pantsed the way I always do, but then when I got stuck, I found I couldn't get unstuck quickly. I never want to be in that position again, and so I'm working with an outline for book three.

I started off by writing a chapter-by-chapter synopsis of the book, which came out to about five single-spaced pages. It’s not a detailed outline by any means, but it loosely sets forth the story, character developments, and major plot points. I then began writing without referring much to this outline. When I get lost, my synopsis is there to remind me where I'm going. As a bonus, it was useful when creating a proposal to send to my editor.

Thing is, I'm still pantsing around. I can't help it. My characters will do or say something, and that action or statement will illuminate an entirely new path I hadn't anticipated. Those kinds of surprises excite me and keep me writing, so I embrace them. Also, these developments end up feeling organic to the plot in a way that some of my initial outlining plans don't. I inevitably learn about my characters as I write, and some of the outlining plans fail because I didn't know my characters well enough at the outset. It's fine with me when characters direct the plot. At least the plot is moving. 

This is the part where I look into the computer screen and say: Pantsers, it's okay to outline. Really. You're not going to lose that seat-of-your-pants thrill that you get from writing. What you're going to reduce is the wasted time that comes from having a great idea at the outset and then writing yourself into a corner. It's much easier to solve plot problems up-front than to face the excruciating prospect of chopping off a chapter or two. I treat my outline as a safety net. I know it's there when I need it, but otherwise it's really just an exercise to get my thoughts straight before I began to write. I don't adhere to it rigidly. In fact, some parts of my outline are still a little murky. Okay, okay…a lot murky.

But hey, I'm a pantser at heart. Murky is kind of my thing.

Guest Post and Giveaway: A Cowboy and a Pastry Chef Walk Into a Barn, by Melissa Cutler

Today The Hot Pink Typewriter warmly welcomes Harlequin Romantic Suspense author Melissa Cutler. I had the pleasure of meeting Melissa last summer, and she is as exuberant and fun in person as she is on the page. We're delighted to have her. Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of TEMPTED BY DANGER!

A Cowboy Doctor and a Pastry Chef Walk Into a Barn…

And from the cover art of my latest Harlequin Romantic Suspense release, COLTON BY BLOOD, you can tell that the cowboy doctor ends up carrying his lady love back out as danger closes in on them. What kind of danger, you ask? You’ll have to read the book to find out. Luckily, it’s on sale right now (digitally) for $1.99 at all e-retailers. What a bargain!

I’m Melissa Cutler and I’m thrilled to be a guest on The Hot Pink Typewriter talking about Dr. Levi and Kate. This is a story near and dear to my heart, with characters who are haunted by their respective pasts and only learn the healing power of love—as well as the healing power of bread pudding with whiskey sauce and fresh peach ice cream—after Levi is summoned to the deathbed of his estranged father on a wealthy, secluded Wyoming ranch he’d never been welcomed at before. Kate is the pastry chef at the ranch and she’s instantly drawn to the enigmatic doctor, as he is to her.

Here’s the blurb from the back cover:

Rising romantic suspense star Melissa Cutler reveals more secrets from the Coltons  of Wyoming… An unsolved murder haunts those who live and work at Dead River Ranch. When called to care for the ailing Colton patriarch, Dr. Levi Colton must face the father who never claimed him. He's not looking for distraction, but he finds it in Kate McCord, the irresistible pastry chef. Beneath her sweet smile are scars from her own tragedy—and a determination for justice.

As a wildfire forces them together with an unknown killer, Levi and Kate must confront an attraction that flares hotter than flames. They edge closer to the truth, discovering that the secret that links their pasts could lead them straight into the killer's trap.

Enjoy this scene from COLTON BY BLOOD:

“Can I try it now?” he asked.

She glanced his way to see him holding a spoon over the crème brûlée, waiting for her to give him the green light. “Dig in.”

A satisfying crunch filled the air as he broke the spoon through the burnt sugar shell. He gave a thumbs-up as he chewed. “That’s amazing. May I make a request?”

“Name it.”

“You know how last night Jethro ordered dessert at every meal?”

She combined the dough ingredients and got busy mixing. “Mmm-hmm.”

“You’d better double that order.”

Elation flooded through her. “You’ve got yourself a deal. Anything else?”

“Yeah, on a related topic. Please tell me this ranch has a gym.”

Her grin was so wide, it hurt. When was the last time she’d smiled so much? “It does. Around the corner from the infirmary I told you about last night.”

“Good.” He shoveled a heaping spoonful of crème brûlée into his mouth.

She turned the dough out onto her kneading board. “Do you live in Wyoming?”

“No, Salt Lake City. I went to med school there and it made the most sense to stay for my residency.”

Good to know. She could crush on him all she wanted because he didn’t even live in the same state as her. All she had to do was keep her desires to herself until he left. She pushed a lock of hair away from her face with the back of one floury, doughy hand. “You had quite a drive yesterday.”

“You’re telling me. I did my undergraduate work at the University of Colorado and I made the drive from there to Dead to visit my mom every chance I got. I’d forgotten how tiring it is to drive distances like that.” He walked across the room to the sink and grabbed a paper towel, then wet it. “You didn’t grow up in Dead, did you?”

“No, Cheyenne.”

“Didn’t think so. I would’ve noticed you.” Then he was in her space, reaching the paper towel to her forehead. “You have flour in your hair. Hold still.”

Keeping her head steady, she looked sideways at him.

His brows furrowed in concentration as he wiped the paper towel over her hair, yet a hint of amusement remained. “You need a scrub cap.”

“Like doctors wear?” At his nod, she added, “I usually wear something but I forgot today.” That wasn’t true, precisely. Kate’s hair was so impossibly unruly that she normally wore a bandana while she baked, but it made her look like a chubby-faced pirate wannabe. With Levi as company this morning, vanity won out over practicality.

“I think the water from the paper towel turned the flour into glue. Oops.” He held the afflicted lock of hair out and wrapped the paper towel around it, then pulled.

“It’s been a long time since a boy put glue in my hair. This is like kindergarten all over again.”

He tucked the damp hair behind her ear. “Crème brûlée blowtorch notwithstanding.”

COLTON BY BLOOD is in stores now:

Amazon || B&N || Audible Audio Books || iTunes

Giveaway: Today, as a thank you for stopping by the blog, I’m giving away a backlist book of mine to one commenter (U.S. resident only, please). TEMPTED BY DANGER was my June release, and I know you’ll love it! Since COLTON BY BLOOD has lots of yummy desserts throughout the book, to enter to win, just let me know what your favorite dessert is.

My thanks to The Hot Pink Typewriter for hosting me today. I love hearing from readers and am really easy to find at www.melissacutler.net, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/MelissaCutlerBooks ), and Twitter (@m_cutler). And you can always email me at melissa@melissacutler.net or sign up for my newsletter (http://www.melissacutler.net/newsletter/ ) to find out about my latest books and upcoming events.

Bio: Melissa Cutler knows she has the best job in the world, dividing her time between her dual passions for writing sexy contemporary romances and edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense for Harlequin, Penguin, and Kensington Books. She was struck at an early age by an unrelenting travel bug and is probably planning her next vacation as you read this. When she's not globetrotting, she's enjoying Southern California's flip-flop wearing weather and wrangling two rambunctious kids.