Multiple award-winning
author, Jacqueline Seewald, has taught creative, expository and technical
writing at University as well as high school English. She also worked as both
an academic librarian and an educational media specialist. Fifteen of her books
of fiction have been published to critical praise including the romantic
mysteries THE INFERNO COLLECTION, THE DROWNING POOL, THE TRUTH SLEUTH and DEATH
LEGACY. Her most recent release is her prize-winning sensual historical romance
THE CHEVALIER available as an e-book in all formats at: http://steamereads.com.au/product/the-chevalier/
Her
short stories, poems, essays, reviews and articles have appeared in hundreds of
diverse publications and numerous anthologies.
Q: Thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell our readers a little about your writing? What genres do you
enjoy writing?
I write in many genres. I’ve
written children’s books as well as young adult fiction. However, most of my
novels are written for adult readers. I enjoy reading romance in particular and
so I write a good deal of romantic fiction. I love romantic suspense as well as
romantic mysteries. I do enjoy contemporary romance. But I particularly love
historical romance.
Q:
Do you write on a schedule or when the Muse decides?
I write every morning, starting about 6
a.m. I think it’s important to be disciplined as a writer. You can’t be a
writer unless you write.
Q: Can you tell us about your
writing process, for example, do you write an outline first?
I don’t outline with short stories
but I do with novels. Of course, you never know when characters will decide to
rebel and take on a life of their own.
Q:
What qualities do you instill in your heroes?
They must have sex appeal. This may
sound shallow, but if we are honest, men need to have some sort of magnetism
that draws a woman. Looks matter, though the hero doesn’t have to be a “pretty
boy.” Usually my heroes are rougher, tougher, physically and psychologically.
They must show respect for the heroine and care about her feelings and
well-being. This does not mean they are always tender. I also think a good hero
will be flawed, far from perfect. But by the end of the novel, he should make
amends with the help of the heroine for his errors in judgement.
Q. Coffee or tea?
Both. Coffee first thing in the
morning so my mind is as sharp as possible. A variety of teas during the day
and evening.
Q. Beach or countryside?
Again, I love both. But I look out
on the Hudson River and have a view of Manhattan where I live on the cliffs of
the New Jersey side. I guess you’d say I’m more of a beach person. I love the
Jersey shore in particular.
Q. Do you write about the places
you know or prefer to take your readers to exotic places?
Again, both. My romantic mystery
series is set in New Jersey, a state I have lived in my entire life. However, I
was an English major and a Social Studies minor as an undergraduate. I have
graduate degrees in English and Library Science. So you might say I have
travelled to exotic places through reading and book adventures. I do
considerable research for all my novels but the historicals in particular. THE
CHEVALIER, for instance, is an historical romance set in 1745 in the era of the
second Jacobite rebellion in Scotland and England. These were turbulent,
unsettled times, romantic by their very nature. My hero, Gar, is a British
officer, my heroine, Madeline, is both Scottish and French. Their relationship
is passionate from the first but they are separated by the politics of the
times.
Q: Where do you get your
inspiration?
I’m surrounded by interesting
people, their lives, their stories. I also read nonfiction as well as fiction
and gain inspiration from that. And there is the inner workings of my own
imagination of course.
Q: Would you change anything in
your life to make writing easier.
I’m not certain that I would. My
husband urged me to take an early retirement so that I could write, and I
followed his advice. I have no regrets.
Q: We have all suffered submission
rejections. How do you cope? Do you have any advice to other writers on coping
with rejection?
I hate rejections, but it’s part of
being a writer. As a writer I tend to be sensitive, but I know that not every
editor will like my work. Fortunately, there have been enough acceptances so
that I have kept on with my writing.
My advice to novice writers. First,
take some writing courses. Learn how to write properly before you break rules.
Make time to write each day. Expect to edit your own work. You never get it
just right the first time. Write, put the work aside, and then come back to it
at a future time, so that you can do a proper edit before you submit you work.
There are always mistakes.
Q: What do you like to read and who
are your favourite authors?
I enjoy reading so many different
authors that I can’t pick out just a few. At this time, there are a great many
truly talented people writing wonderful books and short stories.
Q: Do you write one novel at a time
or do you move between works in progress?
I tend to fixate on one novel at a
time, although, I have worked on short stories intermittently with my most
current romance novel. For example, I have a collection of romance stories of
varied heat levels out right now as an e-book on Amazon from a small publisher
entitled BEYOND THE BO TREE: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DTV0750
Q: Do you have times when the Muse
is away on holiday?
Like all writers, I’m not always
“on.” When that happens, I spend more time on social networking and also
actively read the books of other writers.
Q. What motivates you to write?
It’s something I’ve wanted and
needed to do since I was a young girl. I’m a creative person and this is a
major way of expressing creativity.
Q. What advice would you give to
unpublished authors approaching an e publisher?
Know what that publisher does and
does not publish. Read their books. If the publisher only does noir mysteries
then don’t submit your romance there. Do your homework so that you don’t waste
your time.
Q: Is there anything you would like
to share with us about upcoming releases?
Right now I have six new short
stories that will be published in six anthologies in different genres by a
variety of publishers.
I also hope to see a new edition of
my historical sensual Regency TEA LEAVES AND TAROT CARDS published soon. The
novel was endorsed by Jayne Ann Krentz, one of my favourite romance writers.
Mary Balogh read the manuscript early on providing invaluable editorial
suggestions and insights.
Also, the fourth Kim Reynolds
romantic mystery novel is now in the edit phase and hopefully will be published
sometime in 2014.
Elizabeth: Well, you have two of my favorite authors as acquaintances, how wonderful. I think I've read Mary Balogh's entire back list this year. It would be a dream come true to have Mary Balogh read a manuscript. I am so jealous :-)
Q: Can
you tell us a little about your current novel? What inspired you to write this
story?
I read TOM JONES by Fielding many
years ago, loved the novel and the movie version. THE CHEVALIER is in that
tradition-- lots of fast-paced adventure with a lusty romance full of energy.
I’ve always been fascinated by
British literature and history and taught Brit Lit for a number of years. You could call this novel my
tribute to that tradition.
Blurb:
The
Chevalier
is a sensual historical romance set in England and the Scottish Highlands in
1745 at the time of the second Jacobite Rebellion. The romantic involvement is
between a French aristocrat who is part Scottish and a British army officer who
finds her as desirable as she finds him. Try as hard as they might, their
overwhelming passion for each other cannot be denied. Unfortunately, people and
events come between them and nearly destroy their relationship. Madeline--young,
romantic, passionate, impulsive--and Gareth--world weary, cynical—meet in a
time of political upheaval. They are on opposite sides. Yet there is a strong
and immediate attraction between them. Madeline's mother wants her to marry her
Highland laird cousin, Andrew, but Madeline's heart is with Gar.
Excerpt:
From Chapter One:
London, 1745
“She found her warm shawl and moved with agility across the
room and out the wide doors. There was torchlight to illuminate the walkways
through the shrubbery, but the garden was deserted. Madeline bravely continued
forward, shivering in the evening chill. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness,
she could see the tall figure of a man off to one side looming near a carved
bench, his leg raised as he leaned forward on it. She decided to simply walk
past him.
"I wouldn't
go walking through the hedge." His voice was deep, resonant and pleasing
to her ear.
He had actually
noticed her. She quickly turned around. "Why not?"
"It is not
the sort of thing a young lady should do if she is unescorted."
"Then perhaps
you might escort me?" She was glad that it was dark so that he would be
unlikely to see how red her face was, for she was certain that it had colored
deeply. In her whole life, she had never been so outspoken.
He let out a
rumbling, surprised laugh that came from deep within his chest. "You would
compromise your reputation if you took a walk in the maze with me."
"Would we get
lost?" she asked in a soft voice.
"Most
assuredly, I do not know the way. And you would certainly be lost."
She stared into
his eyes with interest. "I was told that you are a notorious rake. Is that
so?" She was mortified by her own audacity. What was wrong with her? Mama would slap her
if she knew how badly Madeline was behaving.
He laughed again
with a surprised sound that had the clarity of a bell. "You are either the
most innocent chit imaginable or the most accomplished flirt I have ever had
occasion to meet."
He sounded amused
but she regretted her foolish remark. Surely, she had been taught better.
"I am sorry. I truly did not mean to behave in an insulting manner."
He smiled at her
in a forgiving manner. "Who protects you?"
Her brows rose
questioningly. "Why do I need protection?"
"From men
like me, of course," he said with a disarming smile that took her breath
away. "We are prone to snatch away the innocence of young maidens. Who are
you?"
"I am
Madeline de Marnay. My father, Etienne de Marnay, was the Comte de Sarnou,
French Deputy Ambassador to England. He died six months ago."
"My
condolences. And you have not returned to France, Mademoiselle?"
"No, my maman
is ill and does not wish to leave England quite yet. But when we go, I believe
it will not be to France but to Scotland."
He narrowed his
jewel-like eyes. "Why Scotland of all places?"
"Maman was
born there. She still has family in the northwest. My grandfather was the chief
of a clan in the Highlands but he supported King James against the Elector of
Hanover and was forced to flee with his family or be arrested for
treason." She was telling him more than she ought. Why did she have the
unfortunate tendency to babble when she was nervous?
"So your
mother wants to return to the Highlands, but why?" His tone was cool, disinterested.
"The
Highlands will always be her home. And now that Papa is gone, she wishes to be
buried with her own people."
Gareth Eriksen
shook his head. "She is picking the worst possible time to go to Scotland.
Tell her that the Young Pretender is on the march with a Highland army. Soon,
they'll be facing a large British force and the danger to anyone caught in between
could be devastating. She would be risking your life as well as her
own." His fierce frown was
magnificently masculine and she let out a small sigh of admiration.
"Prince
Charles Edward might make a fine showing, don't you think?" Madeline was
unable to restrain the enthusiasm from her voice. The passion she expressed for
the cause masked the strange, disturbing feelings for the handsome stranger
that so heated her blood.
She hoped that he
could not read her mind; she would truly die of shame if he had an inkling of
how desperately she wished to caress his cheek with the tips of her fingers.
And Mother of God, if only this virile man would crush her into his arms and
kiss her—perhaps even make love to her! Where were such wild, outrageous
thoughts coming from? She must be mad!”
Buy Link: The Chevalier
Book cover URL:
Author’s links:
Beyond
the Bo Tree
Death
Legacy
The Chevalier
The Third
Eye
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