Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Author Spotlight : Abby Green

This week, we're very honoured to have Mills and Boon Modern/Harlequin Presents Author Abby Green, as our guest on the Minxes blog. I first met Abby a couple of years ago when I attended a writing romance workshop in Ireland with Abby, Trish Wylie and Jenny Hutton. It was a real eye-opener, and Abby was full of great advice. If you haven't discovered Abby's writing yet - it's highly recommended. Every one I've read so far has made it to the keepers shelf. Great heroines, and yummy heros. And the book she's talking about is great!

Now, on to the questions...

1. Where were you in your writing career 5 years ago?


I had just received my first letter of feedback from Mills and Boon, it was a rejection of a partial but with notes, and I was determined to keep going and submitting. I sold a year after I got that letter.

2. Where did you get the idea from for this particular book?

It came out of another book - Ruthless Greek Boss, Secretary Mistress which was released in the UK last year. While I was writing that book, I'd created an old man who comes back to Greece after being exiled for many years, and I found myself wondering if he might have a son...and what his son would be like. And that's how the story was born.

3. Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?

Still writing for Mills and Boon and hopefully having completed something else, like a film script, which would be in production with an A-list cast!

4. Which was the last book you read that you wish you'd written?

Twilight!

5. Was there any particular author or book that made you want to be a writer?

I've been reading ever since I was little, so my inspiration and motivation came from all sorts of sources...there was no one epiphanic moment. It was more of a metamorphosis.

6. Do you find writing love scenes giggle-worthy or cringe-worthy?

Not at all, because I think that would come through in the writing. But I do find them harder as time goes on, it's a challenge to keep them fresh and exciting!

7. What's the most romantic moment of your life so far?

I'm still waiting to be surprised..!

8. What do you wish you'd known about being an author before you were pubbed?

Nothing really to be honest, it's all been better than I could have ever hoped for. It's certainly been more challenging than I could have imagined, but in a good way. And the money doesn't materialize overnight, at all. So it's a slow process but I think once you've come to terms with that and settle in for the long haul it's definitely worth it.

9. What's the best writing advice you've ever been given?

To just sit down and do it, and to know the market you're targeting. If you want to write for M&B, or Harlequin Presents, then really read all the current books. It'll be the best education. And try to come up with a fresh idea, or a new twist on an old theme.

10. Tell us about your latest release.

Well as I said, it came out of another book. I personally love it when you can 'see' other characters again and I got to re-visit Ari and Lucy in this book. But this story is very much Angel and Leo's story. Leo has been in exile from his homeland all his life so he's not prepared for the visceral reaction he has to Greece when he arrives for the first time.


His family have one great enemy - the Kassianides family. When Leo meets a humble waitress who he can't resist kissing, he thinks nothing of it, until he finds out that she is from the Kassianides family. Suddenly he's turned from an urbane businessman into a man who seeks vengeance for his family and himself.


But Angel is entirely innocent, in every way. And Leo only discovers this when it's almost too late...

11. What's next for you?

What's next is that my very first Sheikh book is out this summer in the UK, it's called 'Breaking the Sheikh's Rules' and it's out in a Summer Sheikhs anthology, you can read an excerpt on my website. And at the moment I'm writing the story of that hero's brother, so I'm enjoying that...



The Virgin's Secret is available from the Mills and Boon website as print and e-book.
Click here for ordering.

The US presents release of The Virgin's Secret is in July. Click here for ordering. (Not available yet!)

For more about Abby, check out her website: http://www.abby-green.com/

Thanks for the interview, Abby!

14 comments:

Abbi said...

Great interview.

I really enjoy Abby's books. I already have The Virgin's Secret in my TBR pile. Can't wait to read it!

Abbi

Romy Sommer said...

Thanks so much for popping in to be interviewed today, Abby. I look forward to reading this one.

I also really love that you appreciated Twilight. I wish I'd written that one too, as I loved its intensity. But it seems fashionable these days to 'bash' the Twilight books, so it's refreshing to hear someone other than me admit to liking it.

Anonymous said...

I love Abby. Thanks for the interview and I look forward to reading more of her books.

Sally Clements said...

Abby's having trouble posting a comment, so asked me to do it for her... here it is.

Hi Guys, thanks for commenting and thanks Sally for inviting me to blog! Romy, I adored Twilight, it brought me right back to all that delicious teenage angst. People can bash it all they want, the sales figures speak for themselves!
And Abbi, I hope you enjoy The Virgin's Secret when you get a chance to read it!
x Abby

Abby Green - Mills and Boon Modern/Harlequin Presents Author
http://www.abby-green.com

Maya Blake said...

From one Twihard to the other, it's great to have you here, Abby. I remember we were both waiting with bated breath over on eharl for the release of New Moon! I love the title of your new book - very intriguing!

Unknown said...

Thanks for the interesting post, Abby. Can I just say that when I first targeted M&B, yours is one of the first books I read to learn more about the line and you hooked me - and I mean hook, line, and sinker! You're an auto-buy for me now and I gobble up your stories. Twilight is great, isn't it? How could anyone who loves a good romance not love the story of Edward and Bella? Take care and good luck with the screenplay.

K M Kelly said...

Fascinating interview. Thanks :-)

Unknown said...

Wonderful interview ladies. From Abby's debut to her recent Bride in a Gilded Cage, I'm such a fan!

The Virgin's Secret was amazing as well! Thanks Abby for all of the house of reading pleasure.

Unknown said...

Hi Minxes, and Abby - I loved The Virgin's Secret so much, but right now I'm about 3/4 of the way through Abby's next book 'Bride in a Gilded Cage' and I'm finding it impossible to think about anything else! With every book her writing gets stronger and more seductive - and I'm absolutely boiling with anticipation in this one. Nice work Ms Green!

Suzanne Ross Jones said...

Terrific answers, Abby. It's great to see you on the blog.

daisy said...

Hi there, thanks so much to everyone for commenting and reading the interview! Maya, there can never be enough Twihards! Can't wait till the Eclipse movie comes out. Barbara - auto-buy? Be still my beating heart! I'm so chuffed to know that anyone is reading my books never mind liking them too...
xx Abby Green (aka Daisy Google)

Lacey Devlin said...

Fantastic interview! Thanks Abby!

Maisey said...

Wow! Great Abby! And I'm hearing SO much buzz about Bride in a Gilded Cage that I know I'm going to have to pick it up. And also, The Virgin's Secret, which has some of my fave things (I can tell just by the title!) Yeah, I shall here confess to being a Twihard...and to being an absolute sucker for a book with a virgin heroine.

daisy said...

Thanks India for your kind words, your check will be in the post any day now ;-)!
Hi Lacey and Maisey and anyone I've missed out, thanks so much for dropping by and best of luck ladies with the blog! Seems to be doing really well!
x Abby Green (posing under her real name of Daisy - Maisey when we meet we'll be having lots of fun - Maisey and Daisy!)