Interview of Author Carly Phillips

Please Welcome NYT Best Selling Author Carly Phillips

Q. We’d love a chance to get to know you. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to your writing career? 
A. I’m a stay at home mom who used to be a lawyer, who turned into a romance writer and never looked back! I have 2 daughters, age (almost) 21 and 16, a husband, and two dogs (Wheaten Terrier and Havanese).  I love love love to read, I’m always online, I occasionally knit, and enjoy shopping and being with close friends!  I didn’t plan to write romance novels, or to be a writer at all but I was always a huge reader.  Once I found the Romance genre as a reader, I knew what was missing from my life, somehow I decided to try my hand at writing, and from that day forward, I KNEW that was what I was meant to do! Looking back, I did make up stories in my head when I was younger, so the tendencies were there all along.  I just didn’t know it!

Q. Perfect Fit just released. How excited do you get for each release? Do you have a special ‘thing’ you do with family to celebrate? 
A. I always get excited with each new release. Every new book feels like a fresh chance, a new start … I don’t know.  It’s very exciting for me personally.  I don’t do anything special at home or with my family.  I’m too busy online promoting the new book, talking to readers on Twitter and Facebook … and writing whatever story I am currently working on.

Q. Are there any ice breaker games you play when getting into the skin of your characters?
A. No and I wish there were! Maybe I should make up some. J I have a tendency to let my characters grow and develop as I write them which makes for a lot of going back, adding in and rewriting but I prefer the organic approach I guess! Every time I’ve tried to do too much in advance it backfires on me.

Q. Do you storyboard? How do you create these memorable characters that keep us on the edge and waiting anxiously for your next release?
A. No but I’ve tried, believe me. I love the idea but it turns out my brain doesn’t work that way.  As I mentioned above, it’s an organic process and I just hang on for the ride and hope my characters (or my critique partner) knows what they’re doing to keep me on track!

Q. Do you keep any special health smart foods on hand to snack on when you’re plotting the next best-selling novel? 
A. No to that one too! I’m always thinking about my health and cholesterol (heredity) so it’s an ongoing battle for me anyway.

Q. How do you keep fit and in shape while pounding out your story?
A. I’ve always been a slacker when it comes to exercise but lately the treadmill has been my friend.  Now that the New Year is over and vacations and holidays behind me, I need to get back to routine! 30 minutes of walking a few times a week.

Q. Who is your favorite author or do you have someone who inspired you to write?
A. LaVyrle Spencer was my inspiration long, long ago.  She’s been retired for awhile.  Her book, Separate Beds, was the one that got me hooked on real contemporary romance at the time.

Q. Have you ever wanted to change or switch up your chosen genre? If so what would you love to write?
A. Not really … maybe more erotic romance … but I just let my characters take over … and leave that to my reading.  I love what I write and I’m so lucky to be able to do it every day J

Q. If you weren’t a writer or a lawyer…what other career path might you have taken? Or what might you choose to pick up later on in life?
A. I would like to think I’m exactly where I’m meant to be!

Q. How important is it for an author to have support of family and friends in this ever evolving craft/profession?
A. Beyond important.  Crucial.  This can be a very debilitating sort of career if you let rejections get you down.  Writing is solitary by nature.  I believe the Internet has helped writers as a whole, not be so depressed all day because they can reach out much quicker.  At the same time, the Internet doesn’t substitute for real people.  You need those around you to support your dreams and love you through them! Friends and family.

Q. Can you tell us what inspired Perfect Fit?
A.  I loved what I did in the original Serendipity trilogy, the brothers and their mixed/ongoing story.  I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if I stayed in Serendipity, but moved on at the same time? Families within the town, connected people and stories, but letting readers have stand alone type books too.  These three have ongoing characters/family but not a story thread the way Serendipity, Destiny and Karma did. I wanted readers to be able to pick up a book and read if they’d like – or feel like they’re following a family in order if they prefer … while remaining in a familiar place. Luckily for me, readers really seemed to like the town of Serendipity, where I set the first three books about the Barron, so I got to write Mike and Cara's story!

Q. Is there a fifth book we can look forward to reading in this series?
A. Yes! Fifth and Sixth. Next we’ll get Mike and Sam’s sister Erin in Perfect Fling (8/2013) and then Sam himself in Perfect Together (2/2014).

BLURB:
In the picturesque town of Serendipity, New York, three siblings have grown up in the shadow of their proud and respected police chief father. But what do love, fate, and fortune have in store for the next generation of Serendipity’s finest?

Always feeling like the odd man out in his family, Michael Marsden wanted to make it on his own. So he escaped Serendipity to become an undercover cop in Manhattan, where the Marsden name wasn’t known. But Michael’s independence is compromised when he returns home to replace his sick father as chief of police. Back in the shadow of his family, he’s as lost and restless as ever, until he’s challenged by someone he never anticipated.

Cara Hartley is the Serendipity cop with whom Mike had a one night stand three months earlier. Neither expected anything more but fate has other things in store. When Mike returns as Cara’s boss, the sexual tension between them is impossible to ignore – and the unexpected emotional connection continues to grow. But Cara’s a small town girl while Mike has a wanderer’s blood in his veins.

Both are convinced a future together is impossible. Until Mike’s real father’s secrets come back to haunt him and he realizes there are some things worth staying and fighting for. Including Cara.


Serendipity Books 1, 2 and 3 Buy Link

Carly’s Social Media Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

GoodReads

CONTEST

One Lucky winner will receive their choice of one of the previous three releases shown above. Please comment by midnight EST 10 January with your email address. Winner must reside in the US to win.

Don't forget to check Carly's author page at http://www.romancebooks4us.com for more information!

I want to thank Carly for being here with us today. It was a pleasure getting to know more about her!

Note: Interview conducted by Mahalia Levey.