Making A Connection

Don't we all want to get away from our regular world and travel into a fantasy world every time we pick up a new book. Stories can take us anywhere and introduce us to characters we either want to emulate or to avoid. Hearing directly from authors about their personal stories has always been enjoyable to me and it's why I enjoy doing this blog. Today's guest in My Writing Corner, Carol Henry,  brings us romantic tales, and she also has a fascinating story of her own. 

Carol is a #1 best-selling author who writes award-winning, 5-STAR reviewed Light Romantic suspense Adventures (she says they're like Indiana Jones meets Romancing the Stone), as well as American historical, holiday, and contemporary light romance novels.  A world traveler, Carol has written for several major cruise lines’ deluxe in-cabin books, and porthole Cruise Magazine, but she says she also takes great pleasure in weaving her own adventures with her ‘characters’ in her ‘Connection’ series novels.  She says even her contemporary novels, such as her Lobster Cove series, have a few snippets from her travels.  As a New York State Historian for the Town and Village of Candor, she has written several history books on Candor, NY, as well as a Historic Novel (Ribbons of Steel) with Candor history weaved into the story line.  Carol teaches creative writing workshops, has been a speaker at various venues, is a member of Romance Writers of America, and is a member of Published Authors Network.  She is also a member and past president of RWA’s local chapter, STAR–Southern Tier Authors of Romance; a member of Sisters in Crime; and is the Director of the local Write Now Writers’ Group. Let's find out more about Carol.

What do you find is the most challenging part of being an author?

The hardest part of being an author is promoting ‘me’. From an early age I was taught not to brag about myself. So, ‘I’m not an in-your-face’ person which makes it hard for me to feel comfortable in selling my writing persona. Unless of course someone actually comes forward and starts asking me about my writing, in which case I don’t hold back.

How do you develop characters?

I’ve given workshops on character development and found myself following my own advice—go beyond the basics, find out what motivates them, their background, their pet peeves, their goals, to name a few. I find when I don’t do this before I start plotting, my characters become stubborn and don’t cooperate. This goes for all my characters, including a few secondary characters—why are they there, what part do they play in the novel? How are they connected with each other?

Tell us about your road to publication.

Even though I had a full-time job, I had always dabbled in writing stories for my kids, typed them myself, and had them bound in hard cover. I also wrote several small volumes, in verse, of my husband’s and my chapters of our lives together: High School Sweethearts, Europe, and You and Me. They were also bound and are still on my shelf. From there, I noticed a local newspaper printed short children’s stories, so I made an appointment with them, and ended up leaving with an assignment to interview someone local who had had breakfast with Barbara Mandrel. Thus began my photo/journalism career. Which lead to me writing about my international travels for major cruise lines in-cabin books, and travel magazines.

I’ve always been an avid reader, and finally one day, I decided I could write a romance novel, too. I had joined a writer’s group, a critique group, and attended workshops, conferences, and kept writing. And my love of writing, and many travels, lead me to write my first published novel: Amazon Connection, and thus my light romantic suspense adventure Connection Series, to include Shanghai Connection, Rio Connection and Cairo Connection. Although my first novel I wrote wasn’t the first one sold, it was eventually published and ranked #1 on Amazon for 21 days.  To date, I have written 13 novels, many of which have ranked #1, or Top 10, on Readers’ polls, with my latest Connection Novel just contracted.

How about a blurb from one of your publish Connection novels, Cairo Connection:

Megan Holloway is startled when Professor Jordan Kaine informs her she must travel with him to Cairo to collaborate on a proposed contract for the Egyptian Agricultural Ministry. Sole provider for her ill mother, Megan can’t leave her side. But Megan’s probationary period at Wild and Wonderful Corp is up in two weeks. She can't afford to refuse the attractive Professor’s request and risk her job.

Jordan Kaine, up for tenure, MUST win the Cairo contract. He doesn’t want his growing affections for Megan to jeopardize his career. But when a student who filed bogus sexual harassment charges against him shows up at the Cairo conference vying for the contract and him, chances of obtaining tenure becomes tenuous.

With unexplained mishaps, smuggling rumors, and a dead body linked to his father’s dig in Luxor, will Jordan and Megan make their own Cairo connection?

What is your latest book and how did you come up with the idea to write it?

So, my latest book, Arctic Connection, is currently in edits. The only hard part of coming up with the idea to write this book, other than the location which we visited, was to find a current affair in the area, in regards to nature, as my Connection novels center around the Wild and Wonderful Corporation that has ties around the world. When I discovered that Norway was having an issue with the sudden lower count in take of fish up along the Norwegian Coast and the Barents Sea, I wrapped my characters around a possible lead to climate change, ocean problems, and/or a smuggling ring that is illegally fishing off the coast and selling by way of Italy to the Asian ports. Of course, a major event takes place at the North Cape—by heroine’s major bucket list destination! 

What do you have coming in the future? 

I’ve started plotting my next Connection Series novel, which will take place in France—most likely a connection to the vineyards and wine production, and issues that Wild and Wonderful, and my main characters, will connect. Of course, I love writing Christmas stories, and have published several contemporary family-oriented novels, so I wouldn’t be surprised if one suddenly crops up and I’ll have to run with it, as well.

What advice do you have for beginning writers?

The best advice I can offer is to join a writer’s group that fits you, attend conferences, workshops, or attend other writer’s events to see what advice they can share with you. Then, relax, write what you are comfortable writing, let it flow onto the page, and don’t agonize over the ‘first draft’. You can always edit and whip it into shape before submitting. You might be surprised at what your characters suddenly decide to do—or not do. Enjoy the process.

Excellent advice! Thank you, Carol, for being my guest today. Following are the links to find out more about Carol and to buy her books.

http://www.carolhenry.org

 

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/carol-henry

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001KDYKQ6/allbooks?ingress=0&visitId=d2adf433-738c-42bd-a071-747ea48bf009

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6582676.Carol_Henry

Any questions or comments for Carol?