Author Spotlight - Sally Clements

I checked the blog to see who was up on Wednesday, and it's me! Argh! I love asking the questions much more than answering them, but here goes!

1. Where were you in your writing career 5 years ago?
Five years ago I was writing only in November during Nanowrimo, I made the decision to really put everything into my writing by dedicating time and effort into it full time about four and a half years ago.

2. Where did you get the idea from for this particular book?
While on a 'writing romance' course organised by Inkwell Writers Workshops in Ireland, we had a number of exercises to do. One was to think of the first line of a romance novel. A little voice muttered in my ear 'you can bite me if you have to.' It was my heroine, Tempest MacKenzie to my hero Jake. The book took form from that moment, although the first line changed!
3. Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?
I hope to still be happy and fulfilled writing. Being published is lovely, but writing is my joy, so if I can hold on to that I'll be happy!
4. Which was the last book you read that you wish you'd written?
I love romance, but I also love crime. The answer to the question for me has to be Marcus Sedgewick's Revolver, such a slim volume, but totally fascinating and really well written.
5. Was there any particular author or book that made you want to be a writer?
I love Patricia Cornwell's books and Jeffry Deaver's and looking back there were so many influences through the years. I loved PG Wodehouse, Agatha Cristie and Ed McBain (especially Ed McBain, I have an awesome collection!) and always wanted to write something that someone else would love.
6. Do you find writing love scenes giggle-worthy or cringe-worthy?
Never cringe-worthy, but I have to work up to them. I can't write a love scene cold, I always have to start at the sensuality and write like mad to the end of the love scene. They are so important to the story and the characters and I love writing them. My characters often are teasing, tender and witty in love scenes, and that's all them, so it's a lovely surprise to me when they open up in the love scenes. (I'm a bit of a pantster!)
7. What's the most romantic moment of your life so far?
I couldn't isolate just one - and like many of our authors who have been spotlighted, I think its the little things that are really romantic, like gifting me with a lie in and taking the school run!
8. What do you wish you'd known about being an author before you were pubbed?
I started a blog and connected with other writers before I was published, and finding a community of like minded souls was fantastic, and the day that the minxes formed was the icing on the cake for me. I wish I'd known that I would one day not find the dreaded R quite so painful, I guess I'm growing a thicker skin, but at the beginning every rejection was a complete body blow, because I didn't realise that I was perhaps not sending my stuff to the right publishers (or maybe my early stuff really was that bad!). It helps to know that everyone gets them.

9. What's the best writing advice you've ever been given?
To saturate your writing with all five senses. And to rewrite (constantly!)
10. Tell us about your latest release.
Bound to Love is the story of impetuous Tempest MacKenzie who dives headlong into danger without regard for herself to rescue others, which gets her into a lot of trouble! When she sees a gorgeous stranger being kidnapped on his way from the British Museum, she comes to his aid, but finds herself kidnapped too. My hero, Jake, is cautious and logical, and Tempest is his idea of a complete disaster, but they are forced together in a plot to thwart a heist and save his mother, and find love along the way.
11. What’s next for you?
I was asked to do revisions for a new story, and have sent them off and am waiting (nervously) to hear what the editor thought of them - and I'm about six thousand words off finishing a new story, Marrying Cade, with another new story bubbling in my subconcious!

Bound to Love is available as an e-book from all the usual places, and also available in paperback from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com and Salt Publishing. (Don't be frightened by the giant picture of me that comes up on the Salt site!)

Thanks so much for letting me be Gabby Minx for the day, Minxes!