Tuesdays Tidbits With Kari: Featuring EILEEN RENDAHL

Since I am new to writing in more than one genre and am still trying to figure it all out, I got thinking about other authors who do so as well. What made them want to try something new, and how do they handle juggling it all? I decided to ask multi-published author, EILEEN RENDAHL, to see what tidbits we could learn from her.

Eileen is the author of 4 chick lit novels. She also writes romantic suspense under the name Eileen Carr. And her fantastic current release which is available now is an urban fantasy titled DON’T KILL THE MESSENGER. Eileen blogs every Tuesday on Drunk Writer Talk at: http://drunkwritertalk.blogspot.com/ and you can find out more about Eileen at her website http://www.eileenrendahl.com/

KARI: What made you want to switch genres and was the transition difficult?

EILEEN: I was actually working on my last chick lit novel, UN-VEILED, when Melina Markowitz, the heroine of DON’T KILL THE MESSENGER, strolled into my imagination. I didn’t know anything about her, except the fact that she had something and that a bunch of ninjas took it from her.

The transition was more fun than anything else. The tone is much the same and it’s still in first-person like my chick lit novels were. The pace is different. The plotting is different, but after four chick lit novels, it was fun to do something different.
I felt a little bit like I was starting from scratch. I had just a scrap of scene in my imagination and wanted to build a book around it. I didn’t know what genre it would be or where or when it took place. I started with thinking about what characters really captured my heart and my imagination. I love books where an ordinary person is put into extraordinary circumstances and emerges a hero. Melina isn’t completely ordinary, but she is definitely forced by circumstances to become heroic.

KARI: Can you tell us about your new release?

EILEEN: Okay. I have to be honest. I love this book. It was a blast to write. I felt like all the different pieces of it came at me from a million different directions.

DON’T KILL THE MESSENGER is an urban fantasy that takes place in Sacramento, California. Melina Markowitz is a Messenger, a go-between for paranormal forces and supernatural creatures.

Ninjas steal an envelope that Melina is supposed to deliver to the head of the local Vampire Seethe and set in motion a series of events that leads to Chinese vampires under the streets and strange goings-on in the suburbs and a cop that looks way too much like a surfer and smells way too good to be true.

KARI: Did you have any input on the title or the cover?

EILEEN: The title is my original working title and I think it is perfect for the book. No one has ever suggested changing it. I did have a heck of a time coming up with a title for the sequel. My editor actually came up with that one and I’m pleased to say that DEAD ON DELIVERY: A MESSENGER NOVEL is scheduled for release in February of 2011.

The art department at Berkley asked for some descriptions of my characters, but they came up with that gorgeous cover all on their own. I actually teared up when I saw it and threatened to throw a temper tantrum if they changed it. They did a beautiful job on the inside layout, too.

KARI: What's your writing schedule and writing process like?

EILEEN: Schedules! They’re killing me. I have a part-time day job, which I love, but it does take time. I edit reports at a private detective agency. I’m there in the mornings. I try to get in a work out and write through the afternoons and evenings. Of course, like a lot of writers, I have kids who need to get to school and soccer practice and expect to be fed and a mother who needs quite a bit of help and, oh, yeah, a boyfriend who likes the occasional crumb of attention.

Wednesdays are my favorite day of the week. It’s my boyfriend’s night to cook, I can usually get my work out in early and there’s no car pool to drive. I generally have four or five hours of uninterrupted time to write, assuming that no one breaks their nose while jumping on a trampoline or runs out of toilet paper or has some other kind of emergency.

Now, about process, I have become more and more of a plotter. I used to plan out my plot points and move the character from one of those points to another. With the genre switch, the plots have become more intricate. I’m just not capable of keeping the twists and turns in my leaky sieve-like brain and I find it almost a relief to outline. I get the ideas down on paper so there’s space in my brain for more ideas. Having an outline also makes me feel like I have a net underneath me as I navigate the tight rope of writing.

That said, outlining and plotting is HARD for me. I’m not a particular linear thinker and, let’s face it, linear is where it’s at when it comes to plot.

KARI: Who are your favorite authors?

EILEEN: For urban fantasy, I adore Alyssa Day’s Atlantis series. It’s sexy and rich and emotional. Her books give me shivers. Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews totally rock, too.
I could read Suzanne Brockmann books all day long. I’ve never been a big fan of military books, but those SEALs of hers have my heart one hundred percent.

There are a number of YA authors who are doing terrific work right now. Michelle Radford, Eileen Cook, Serena Robar, Marianne Mancusi, Caridad Ferrer and Colby Hodge all come to mind pretty quickly.

For hot romantic suspense, you can’t beat Roxanne St. Claire, for my money.

I know I’m leaving some out. There are so many terrific authors out there, it’s hard to keep track of all of them!

Thanks so much to Eileen for being here with us and sharing her valuable insights. Eileen will chime in on the comments section if anyone has any questions.

Kari