Interview

Hi Maggie and welcome. I am so glad you could join us here at
RomanceJunkies. To start, will you please tell us a little bit about
your current projects?

 

I'm starting another Romantic Suspense with the same characters as in MURDER AT BLUE FALLS. Jemma, the CSI wannabe, puts in her application to join the Watauga County Sheriff's Department and Detective Tucker has mixed feelings about that. While on a carpentry job, Jemma listens to gossip about a rogue POA President (Property Owners Association) whose love of petty power has gone to her head. Jemma and Tucker have to decide if their budding relationship can be toned down to that of merely co-workers.

If you could change one thing about your writing habits, what would it be?

 

A longer first draft. I'd like to have more details the first time through but I'm so interested in what comes next in the plot that I tend to skip a lot of the fun stuff. That means that I spend a lot of time during the second draft adding hints and clues and even reordering events.

What is the one thing you'll never change?

 

I tried to outline first with one manuscript and ended up losing interest. It was so bad that I eventually destroyed all evidence of the story - both hard copy and disks. The discovery of the plot as I go along is what keeps me in the chair in front of the computer day after day.

Every writer dreams of getting "the call" or "the email". What form did yours come in?

 

One of the many advantages of being published by a regional press is personal contact. The publisher contacted me in person at a social event, we discussed what was involved, and I dusted off my first of four manuscripts and began working with my editor, Judy Geary.

Who got to hear the good news first?

 

I went home and told my husband. Then I told my mom who soon after began writing a novel.

What is your typical writing day like?

 

I wish I had a typical writing day. I write in spurts of two months. Way in advance, I begin thinking about my characters and plot. The setting is the mountains of North Carolina which is perfect with the hollars and high peaks, the visitor attractions and sports, and the unpredictability of the weather. I liken it to the pressure built up behind a mountain dam - my head keeps filling up with a sense of what the characters will be going through. No details, just the anticipation of emotions and action. Once I have the emotional space and projects in the real world can be put off, I open the flood gates and write. I awake and begin writing long hand the next scene between fixing my and my husband’s breakfasts and his lunch, feeding the birds and tending to the cat. Once my husband is off to work, I continue writing either long hand or at the computer. After a few hours, I do a half hour on the elliptical machine, have lunch and return to writing. While exercising, my mind is on the story. I love it. This is the grand, expanding part of the whole experience of creating these people and events.

We all know the "perfect" characters are not perfect at all but instead have qualities and flaws we can all identify with. So, how do you define a "perfect" hero?

 

He has to be strong but listens to others, like to help others, is a reader and a bit of a loner.

How about a "perfect" heroine?

 

She is open, educated, strong and tends to "do" first and think later.

Which room in your home is your favorite?

 

I treat the sofa in my living room like a lounge chair, curving into the high padded arm and putting my feet up. The lamp on the table behind the sofa is at the right height for me to write long hand. In the winter, I build a fire in the fireplace to my back and have the crackle of the wood burning as my music.

Which one would you love to wave a magic wand and change?

 

I'd love to add an exercise room.

Who's the kitty that rules the Bishop domain?

 

Hunter is our twenty year old Havana Brown. His Siamese voice wakes us around five in the morning. My husband Bob, my cousin Cynthia and I drove miles out in the country to find him. Bob and Cynthia loved his bold and friendly nature. I was drawn to his shy sister but Hunter's persistence won out. He inspired a gift book, MEOW MEANS ME! NOW! which has just been released.

Do you have special hobbies or collections that you wish you had more time to pursue?

 

Travel inspires me. We have hiked in Maine, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Wyoming, Colorado and the Carolinas. We used to visit Dude Ranches until I discovered cruising. Since then, we've hiked in Alaska, Mexico and many of the Caribbean islands.

How did you and your husband meet?

 

Bob and I met at a Sunday evening singles dance when I had a real job in York, Pennsylvania. I asked him to dance, he declined, so we had to talk.

How long did you know him before the "big question was popped"?

 

I moved in with him after a month. After three years, I asked him to make it official. It turns out, he never mentioned it because he didn't want to be involved in a big ceremony and have to parade in front of a bunch of people. We simply went to the Justice of the Peace and flew to Wyoming to Crossed Sabres Ranch for our honeymoon. That trip inspired some of the scenes in my latest novel, MURDER AT BLUE FALLS.

What is your idea of "the" perfect romantic evening? You can do anything you wish. Is there food involved? Music? The stars are yours.

 

Because I get up around 5 am, I like to eat early. The romantic evening would have a chef prepared dinner around six or six-thirty, followed by an hour of dancing to live music, then a show. Come to think of it, the formal night on a cruise ship is perfect. Before dinner is the Captain's Party with a glass or two of champagne. Carrying a wallet and driving are not involved.

How do you describe Maggie Bishop?

 

Active, honest, loyal and organized.

How does Maggie Bishop's husband describe her?

 

I asked him. He said that I'm energetic, a doer (the opposite of a  procrastinator), and a morning person.

MORE FUN...

The Holiday Season is in full swing! What is your favorite holiday
tradition? Did you carry it over from childhood, or is a new one?

 

I love the lights at Christmas so much that I've filled special (empty) wine
bottles with white lights and use them to brighten up a corner table. One
bottle is from my brother's wedding, one from my favorite local winery
(RagApple Lassie), and one was a Christmas gift from my parents.

North Carolina is so well known for it's beautiful foliage. What is your favorite tree?

 

Dogwood. When damaged from ice storms, high wind, or deer rubs, it simply grows more crooked and keeps on blooming in the early spring. It's a very hard and strong wood whose white blossoms dress up the brown mountainsides before Easter.

 

Are you right-handed or left-handed? Ever tried to write with the opposite hand?

 

I'm right handed and have played with writing with my left hand.

And lastly, no interview of a writer would be complete without this question: what is your favorite comfort food?

 

Dark chocolate with nuts. For celebrations, my favorite is Champagne.

Thank you, Maggie, for spending time with us today!  It has been a lot of fun.  Good luck with your writing!

By Brooke Wills

Romance Junkies Publishing Editor Pam Sacknea