Want to know what I fantasize about?
It’s a dream for a lot of us unpublished authors--getting the
call, the moment when a publisher tells me, she wants my work.
Today, it’s my great pleasure to introduce you to my critique
partner, C. J. Burright. She’s a fantabulous writer, who is about to see her
first novel published. Her official biography reads as follows—
C. J. Burright was born and raised in Oregon and loved it so much she never left.
While she has worked for years in a law office, she chooses to avoid writing
legal thrillers and instead leans toward urban fantasy, paranormal romance,
or—since all things medieval and magic fascinate her—fantasy romance. A member
of Romance Writers of America and Secretary for the Fantasy, Futuristic &
Paranormal special interest chapter, C. J. also has her 4th Dan
Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and believes stories should always include a
gratuitous fight scene. In what spare time she has, she enjoys working out,
reading, gardening, and rooting on the Seattle Mariners with a nice glass of
wine. She shares a house with her husband, daughter, and a devoted herd of
cats.
That said, I've asked C. J. to tell us about herself and share
her experience.
- Can you describe your experience
getting the call?
Honestly, I was equally excited
both to gain my agent (the amazing Brittany Booker) and later the contract with
Swoon Romance. After a lot of refining in the fires of rejection, my writer’s
armor repels most blades, so when I queried Brittany and received a response that same
evening, I sighed and thought ‘fastest
rejection ever’. Instead, she asked for more pages. Woo-hoo! Then the
full…and three days later, I had myself an agent. To me, that was the first
step to feeling like a ‘real’ author – validation from a professional that
maybe my writing didn’t totally suck. Of course, just because an agent shows
you some love doesn’t mean a publisher will, so when the awesome Georgia
McBride from Swoon Romance made an offer for Wonderfully Wicked a few months
later, I was psyched beyond belief. It still doesn’t feel real.
- It’s
very exciting that Wonderfully Wicked will soon be available for readers,
but what are you working on now? Please share a little of your current
work with us.
I can’t share an
excerpt from Wonderfully Wicked (since edits are still in the works), but
here’s a snippet from the sequel, Beautifully Burned:
“Who are you?” Ella’s voice
trembled, and for the first time, she wished she had some mace on her keychain
or a Beretta tucked in her waistband.
“Daxen v’al Solanis.” He watched
her, unblinking.
“And V’alkara?” She swallowed hard.
“What’s that?”
“Me.” His predatory smile made a
snarling wolf look friendly. “Ready to talk now?”
“Talk, huh?” She straightened, keys
gripped tight in her fist. Option two was looking better all the time. With a
few alterations. “If that’s all you wanted, you could have chatted me up in the
bar.”
“I wanted you alone.”
A fire bell warning clanged in her
head, urging her to escape, yet she couldn’t peel her attention away from the
line of his jaw. The start of stubble shadowed the hard angles, a darkness
contrary to the pale skin of his throat. She had a sharp, nearly overwhelming
urge to touch him there, to experience the disparity of prickly and smooth, to
slide her fingers down the column of his throat to the ridge of his collarbone.
Ella blinked rapidly and gripped
the keys in a death hold to stop her hands from acting without consent. What the…?
“Are you trying some hypnotic
woo-woo on me?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Not cool and so not happening. I
don’t go around pawing strangers and I don’t have the energy for a one-on-one
bartender counseling session. It’s freakin’ three in the morning, dude. I need
to sleep, so take a hike. Final warning.”
He cocked his head and his eyes
flashed with either amusement or something more intense, she couldn’t tell. His
voice emerged whisper-soft. “Don’t you want help with your nightmares,
Danyella?”
- Where can we find your book?
Wonderfully Wicked should be available soon for preorder on
Amazon, but right now you can check it out on Goodreads (I won’t protest if you
add it to your TBR list!) or at Swoon Romance’s website.
- How did you get started writing?
I grew up in twang-twang banjo land, miles from any city (two
TV channels), so boredom played a huge part in my love for reading and writing.
I have a great imagination because we were forced to entertain ourselves.
Scary, I know.
- How do you generate ideas for your stories?
My weird mind. Dreams. A twisted and active imagination.
- What excites you about your current work in
progress?
Daxen, the antihero in Beautifully Burned,
is so damaged. I’m loving learning his story piece by
grudging piece, and I’m fired up (pun!) to see how the heroine, Ella, will
impact his tormented past.
- How did
you come up with the title?
Lydon
(antagonist) calls Kalila (protagonist) ‘wonderfully wicked’ after a
particularly sneaky move – even though he’s definitely the one with the wicked
vibe going on.
- What are you reading currently?
Once Burned by Jeanine Frost. I’ve heard ladies sighing over
Vlad, so thought I’d get the experience for myself. Has nothing to do with
Beautifully Burned. Total coincidence.
- Do you experience writer's block?
I’d call it more of a procrastination block – some days I
have to force myself to write. Seeing it in my mind is so easy. Putting it on
paper? Hard. Some days the words flow, others they don’t, but not writing isn’t
an option.
- Do you
write an outline before every book you write?
Ha! Never! I’m a
plunger all the way, although I do force turning points on my characters.
Otherwise, they tell me where to go.
- What
books have most influenced your life most?
I’ll keep it to five,
even though I could go on and on: The
Bible, LOTR, The Magic Garden by Gene Stratton-Porter, From This Moment On by
Lynn Kurland, and The Black Jewel trilogy by Anne Bishop.
- What advice would you give other unpublished
authors who hope to interest your publishing house in their manuscript?
Find critique partners you can trust, and before sending out
your manuscript, make sure it’s the best it can be. Check everything: pacing, tension,
character arcs, the balance of dialogue, setting, introspection, and action. If
you love it, someone else out there will too. Don’t give up.
- Is
there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
It’s never too late to start fresh, and redemption is never beyond reach.
Redemption is never beyond reach. Wow, what a great message.
I want to thank Coleen for her candid and fun answers and you readers, who’ve
stopped by. Consider leaving a comment or asking a question. We’d love to hear
from you.
Always interesting to see other writers' experiences - particularly when relating such good news. It helps others to live vicariously through their experiences. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Thanks Kimberly,
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading about other authors too.
I like to see how writers' minds tick.
ReplyDeleteYeah, me too. Thanks for stopping by, Colleen.
ReplyDeleteThanks SOOO much for having me on today, Mia! Muwah!
ReplyDeleteIt's my pleasure. :) I hope you'll come back again and again.
DeleteI love the phrase "procrastination block". I've got that all the time.
ReplyDeleteAlice,
ReplyDeleteI can relate to procrastination block too.
Thanks for sharing CJ's experience with us.
ReplyDeleteMy T13: Recently Viewed
Anytime. I appreciate your visit.
DeleteGreat interview! Personally knowing Coleen, I had the privilege of an early version of Wonderfully Wicked, and highly recommend this book and series.
ReplyDeleteThanks for putting in a good word. I think the book and the series are definitely worth reading too.
DeleteSounds like an exciting book! Thanks for sharing with us!
ReplyDeleteWendy,
ReplyDeleteThanks. Wonderfully Wicked sounds exciting because it is.
Congratulations! It is so nice to see someone landing her dream. She should be very pleased with herself! I will add Wonderfully Wicked to my Amazon wish list!
ReplyDeleteThanks CountryDew,
ReplyDeleteI think you'll fall in love with Wonderfully Wicked. :)
Medieval and Magic fascinate me too. Oh, and she's lovely!
ReplyDeleteThanks Hazel.
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