PLEASE HELP ME WELCOME AUTHOR NICKI GREENWOOD!
Kari: Your first book in your Elemental Series is out and sounds amazing. Can you tell us a bit about EARTH?
Nicki: EARTH is the story of Kincade Murphy, a struggling Montana rancher who’s losing his paranormal gift. He hires botanist Allison Hamilton to help him save his ranch, but of course he can’t tell her his paranormal ability (or lack thereof) is the reason for his troubles. The mystery—and the steamy attraction between them—escalates to boiling point, until Allison discovers a plot to force Kincade off his land. Now, in spite of his need to maintain his distance, Kincade finds himself risking everything to protect her. EARTH is the first in a planned series of four, and I’m thrilled with its enthusiastic reception.
Kari: How do you juggle writing, motherhood, work, etc. What’s your writing schedule like?
Nicki: There are holes in every schedule, and if you have the right equipment, you can get a story done anywhere. One of my best moves was the purchase of a netbook. I bring it everywhere with me, and I can get a surprising amount of work done in a squeezed-in half-hour. So while my writing schedule can be erratic, I am able to do it regularly. I’m currently two-thirds done with Book Two in the Elemental Series, and most of that has been blocks of time carved out between other demands.
Kari: What’s on the horizon for you? Any new series planned? Any new genres you want to attempt?
Nicki: As I’ve mentioned, I am continuing the Elemental Series. Next up is WATER, which is shaping up to be a terrific summer beach book. I also have plans to continue the Gifted Series, an in-progress series of books with a great paranormal, action-adventure flavor. In addition to that, I have been plotting a young adult fantasy series. Fantasy was my first love as a reader, and revisiting that genre will be really exciting for me.
Kari: Any tips for aspiring writers?
Nicki: Be brave. You’ll never get published if you don’t take that deep breath and submit your book. Be willing to learn from honest critiques and experienced writers. Learn the rules from the masters, and then learn how to break them! Lastly, be courteous. Your reputation precedes you in the publishing world, among professionals and readers alike.
Kari: Who are your favorite authors?
Nicki: Walter Farley, the author of the Black Stallion series, has remained a favorite since childhood. In the romance genre, I enjoy Diana Gabaldon, Susan Krinard, Susan Wiggs, and most recently, Julia Quinn. Diana Gabaldon’s detail is stunning, and Julia Quinn is incredibly gifted at layering humor into her Regency romances. She pulls belly laughs out of me when I least expect it!
Thank you so much for inviting me to blog here at Mysteries and Margaritas!
About Nicki: Nicki Greenwood graduated SUNY Morrisville with a degree in Natural Resources. She found her passion in writing stories of romantic adventure, and combines that with her love of the environment. Her works have won several awards, including the Rebecca Eddy Memorial Contest. Her first book, EARTH, is on sale now through The Wild Rose Press. Nicki lives in upstate New York with her husband, son, and assorted pets. When she’s not writing, she enjoys the arts, gardening, interior decorating, and trips to the local Renaissance Faire. For more information on her books or upcoming events, visit Nicki’s website at http://www.nickigreenwood.com/.
10 comments:
Nicki: Welcome to M&M! What fun to have you here. I love hearing about how other writers put it all together. You clearly have a busy schedule.
Do you handle writing multiple books at the same time, or are they in sequence? It's a process that I am trying to figure out.
Thanks again for being here, Nicki! Your story sounds fascinating. Good luck to you on it. And I too love YA fantasy. Writing both adult and young adult can be tricky. How do you handle keeping the voices "different" enough and at the right age level? It's something I struggle with in my own series.
Welcome Nicki to M&M. I love the sound of your elemental series. Very interesting. Good luck.
I loved the advice of 'Be Brave.' that is so true.
Thanks again, and great interview Kari and Nicki!
Nicki,
Your Element series does sound interesting.
One comment you made about rules and breaking them I found enjoyable. I feel the same way-rules are made to be broken or at least bent.
Congratulations, Nicki! Here's to great success with the Elemental series. :)
Hello Cassy, and thanks for visiting my blog post! I do write multiple works at the same time, actually. I am working on a separate series, and have skipped its third book to write the fourth. You have to write the one that's screaming to be let out first. :) It's really a matter of switching mental gears. None of the books in that series are published yet, so I have wiggle room if something needs to be added or deleted to make them all mesh. The Elemental Series itself is being written in sequence, however. For other books, I skim the most recent bits of what I've written so far to help me switch gears. Keeping a master character list, as well as storyboards for each book, helps me sort out who's who and what's what. Good luck with your work!
Hi Kari, and thanks for having me here today. The "voices" come to me fairly naturally. I like to write dialogue, so it flows well for me once I get my ear in gear, so to speak. A lot of it has to do with word choice and sentence structure. There's a big generational difference when it comes to communication. It helps to talk to people of the age range in which you're writing, watch movies, read similar-genre books, or check out forums where the posters are in that age bracket. That way, you get a feel for the syntax and word choices. Adults, for example, are typically more formal than, say, a pre-teen when communicating the same idea. I tend to immerse myself in characterization, and let the story flow once I get that character's "groove" down. I don't know that I give it real conscious thought until the editing stage! Thanks again for the great interview.
More power to you being able to work on more than one at a time. I tend to get so involved with the one I'm writing it's almost impossible to switch gears.
That doesn't mean I might not plot the next in the series bit that's the best I can do.
Nicki: You are very generous with your time. Again, thank you. I think you have a lot to teach us. I look forward to seeing your words sitting on the shelf at my local independent bookstore!
I'm a bit late to the party, but just wanted to tell you, Nicki, how much I enjoyed your book. Sexy and romantic, and just the right amount of suspense. Good job!
Thanks so much Rebecca! I'm thrilled you enjoyed it, and incidentally, I can't wait to see more of your own work. BORROWED STILETTOS is one of my favorite kick-back-and-enjoy reads!
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