Today, I'm interviewing novelist Donna Fasano on my blog. . Donna is a talented writer and tells emotional stories in her novels. I hope you enjoy getting to know her. Let's get started!
Donna...What flavor is your writing style?
I always tell people I write cotton candy for the mind.
Think back to when you were a kid and you took a bite of that delectable
confection. What did you do? You smiled. That’s what I’m going for in my
romance novels.
Was writing always the first thing you wanted to do in life?
No, I wanted to be a teacher, but then I met and fell in
love with my husband. We married and began raising a family. It wasn't until my
children started school that I started writing.
While you were writing, did you ever feel as if you were one
of the characters?
I believe there’s a lot of me in my protagonists. I write
about women who are strong, yet vulnerable. My main characters and my secondary
characters have flaws and make mistakes (don’t we all?), but then most of them
do all they can to learn, grow and become better people.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
One piece of advice I often give to writers is to READ.
Don’t just read in the genre in which you write. Read everything. And then
figure out what you liked and what you didn't…and then think about why. Reading and analyzing the
writing of talented people can help you perfect your own skills.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your
readers?
I bow down to readers! I am so appreciative that they spend
their hard-earned money on my books and then take the time to read my stories.
I am so blessed to have a job I love, and I wouldn't have this job if there
weren't readers who love romance novels.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I came to writing through my love of reading. I spent many a
Saturday as a kid in the local library. I loved books, but I never imagined I
would ever write one. My husband gets the credit for my becoming a writer. When
my children started school and I decided to find a part-time job, he looked
around at the piles of romance novels in our home and said, “You've read a lot
of those. Why don’t you try writing one?” So, you see. It’s all his fault.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change
anything in your latest book?
Not my latest book, but one of my titles—Where’s Stanley?—features an
ending that I didn't come up with. I handed in the completed manuscript, and my
editor suggested a different ending. I wasn't happy, but I did as she asked.
Personally, I think the book suffered for it, but readers seem to enjoy the
story.
What books have most influenced your life most?
Old Yeller, Sounder, The Bell Jar, To Kill a Mockingbird…how
can people read these books and not be influenced? There are so many titles
that inspired me and moved me, molded and shaped me, there isn't time to name
them all. The characters in these wonderful books help young readers to decide what
kind of individual they want to be.
Do you ever experience writer's block?
There was a time when I’d have said no. I have a
plant-your-butt-in-the-chair-and-the-words-will-come attitude. But I did suffer
writer’s block while my dad was battling cancer. It’s difficult to write
feel-good happily-ever-after when your beloved father is dying.
Do you write an outline before every book you write?
I do, yes. I equate an outline with a road made; how do you
know where you’re going if you don’t have a map? I might write the first
chapter or two on the fly, but I always take the time to plan out where I want
the story to go. Now that’s not to say that the characters are going to stay on
the straight and narrow. They decide to veer off the highway every now and then,
and that’s when I have to do a quick reroute.
Have you ever disliked something you wrote?
I've never published anything that I disliked. I have
started projects that haven’t seen the light of day, either because I couldn't
figure out where to take the story, or I couldn't make the protagonist
sympathetic or likable. It’s a rare occurrence, and when it happens, I just set
the story aside and hope I can someday come up with a solution.
Tell us why you’ve decided to set a series of book at a
seashore location.
I love the ocean. There’s just something about a large body
of water that induces a great calm in me. I think many people feel the same, so
I decided to come up with a series that involves three women friends who live
and work in Ocean City, Maryland. The first, Following His Heart, is
Sara and Landon’s story. The second, Two Hearts in Winter, is Heather and
Daniel’s story. I’m currently plotting out the third book of the series.
What are you reading now or what do you have in your TBR pile?
I just finished Learning to Swim by Sara Henry. I’m currently reading Julia’s Daughters by Colleen Faulkner. On my TBR pile you’ll find A Reluctant Hero by Jackie Weger, Creatus by Carmen DeSousa, The Neighbor by Dean Koontz, Three Junes by Julia Glass, One Way or Another by Elaine Raco Chase, Love Me Tender by Mimi Barbour…should I go on?
A PREVIEW of...
Two Hearts in Winter
Ocean City
Boardwalk Series, Book 2
Loss and betrayal have caused
Heather Phillips to give up on love. She’s thrown herself into running The
Lonely Loon, her Bed and Breakfast located on the boardwalk of Ocean City, Maryland.
The “off season” in this tourist town is usually a time of rest and reflection
for her; however, DB Atwell, a famous author, arrives at The Loon for the
winter to finish his long-overdue novel. Daniel, too, has faced grief, and
tragedy continues to haunt him. Once Heather and Daniel meet, their lives will
never be the same.
Reminiscent of Nights in
Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks and culminating in a happily-ever-after similar to
the great Nora Roberts, Two Hearts in Winter is a story about learning to let
go of the past, about realizing that, though hardship affects us, it need not
define us, and about coming to understand and truly believe that beauty is
sometimes covered in scars. The human heart has an amazing ability to forgive,
to heal, and to hope, especially when touched by love.
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-939000-32-3
eBook ISBN: 978-1-939000-33-0
Paperback: Coming very soon!
Excerpt: TWO HEARTS IN WINTER by Donna Fasano
It wasn’t Heather’s aim to
embarrass the girl; she just wanted to cut through the lies to get to the truth
as quickly as possible.
“Listen, hon.” Heather leaned
forward. “Why don’t you tell me what this is all about?”
She smiled, but she had to admit,
after speaking with the woman at Atlantic Coastal this morning, she’d felt
completely stumped. Why in the world would this girl approach her like she had?
Why would she lie?
“I’m tired of proofing,” Sandra
finally said. “And I don’t want to be an editor. I want to be a writer. And
paying writing gigs are few and far between in this business. Newspapers are
shutting down. Everyone is going digital. It’s… it’s hard.”
Heather gently pried the plastic
lid off her tea. She lifted the rim to her mouth and took a sip. The heady
tastes hit her tongue: cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, and the richly
scented steam wafted around her face.
The answer Sandra gave was
completely plausible. It seemed like a perfectly natural thing for a journalist
wannabe to do… write an interesting story about The Lonely Loon and present it
to the magazine’s publisher as proof of her writing skills.
Heather nodded. “I see.” She set
the cup down again, pleased by the calm demeanor that she’d been able to
present. As she’d driven over to the west side of town, she’d fretted about the
confrontation. But it had been simple, really. Just asking for the simple truth
had been the best solution.
There were still a couple of
questions niggling at her, though. “But why lie?” she asked. “Why didn’t you
just tell me you were going after a writing job at your magazine?”
Sandra's chin tipped up, and she
unwittingly slid her palm over the silver laptop that sat on the table, her
gaze zeroing in on Heather’s face. “You would have helped me get a story?”
“Of course, I would help you.”
Heather smiled. “I like to see people succeed. If I can help you, I will.” You
silly twit, whispered through her mind, but luckily she was able to keep the
offensive moniker from slipping off her tongue. “Who wouldn’t like to help
someone advance in their career?”
“Oh, wow,” Sandra gushed. “I don’t
know what to say. I just… this is so nice of you.”
Heather’s smile widened. Now that
the truth was sitting like an open book in front of them, they could get down
to work. She could tell Sandra that her mother had been the one who had
established The Lonely Loon, and she could explain where the name had come
from. And how she’d taken over the business after her mother had died of breast
cancer. She’d be sure to name a few of the neighboring boardwalk businesses and
their owners to offer as much promotion to her friends as she could. The owners
of the shops, restaurants, and hotels on the boardwalk were a tight-knit group.
Sandra reached into her satchel and
pulled out an eight by ten piece of paper and slid it across the table.
“What’s this?” Heather asked.
As her eyes scanned the short,
full-caps header—WRITER DB ATWELL’S DAUGHTER MISSING. Heather’s blood froze and
she felt like she were sitting in a vacuum.
“This is the story I want.” The
words burst from Sandra like blustery wind during a nor’easter. “I have a
friend who works at the Associated Press. He sent this to me just before
Christmas. It’s taken me weeks to track him down. DB Atwell, I mean. The
teachers at his daughter’s school aren’t talking. His publisher isn’t talking.
Even his agent blew me off.”
Heather watched Sandra’s mouth
moving, she even heard the words, but the situation had taken such a bizarre
turn, that she felt truly dumbfounded.
“I’ve tracked him to Ocean City,
I believe,” Sandra continued. “And although I haven’t seen him, I’m pretty sure
he’s hiding out at your B&B. He's the one you mentioned yesterday, isn't
he? The guest who needs quiet. I want you to tell me about him. I need you to
tell me everything you know. About him. And his missing daughter.”
USA Today Bestselling Author Donna Fasano has written 35
romance and women’s fiction titles. Her books have won awards, have been translated
into two dozen languages, and have sold 4 million copies worldwide.
Find Donna Fasano on
social Media:
Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/donnafasano
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Available April 26, 2016 from
KAREN ROSE SMITH
Book 5, Caprice De Luca Mystery Series
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Karen Rose Smith is an only child who delved into books at an early age. She learned about kindred spirits from Anne of Green Gables, solved mysteries with Nancy Drew and wished she could have been the rider on The Black Stallion. Yet even though she escaped often into story worlds, she had many aunts, uncles and cousins around her on weekends. Her sense of family and relationships began there. Maybe that's why families are a strong theme in her novels, whether mysteries or romances. Her 95th novel will be released in 2016.
Readers often ask her about her pastimes. She has herb, flowers and vegetable gardens that help her relax. In the winter, she cooks rather than gardens. And year round she spends most of her time with her husband, as well as her four rescued cats who are her constant companions. They chase rainbows from sun catchers, reminding her life isn't all about work, awards and bestseller lists. Everyone needs that rainbow to chase.
Karen looks forward to interacting with readers. They can find her at the links below.
