Mary's Rants/ Interview with Caroline Fyffe

Welcome, Caroline Fyffe, to Mysteries and Margaritas. Thank you for joining us today. Visit Caroline’s web site www.carolinefyffe.com for more information about her. She’s a multi-talented lady, on top of her writing she is photographer www.carolinefyffephoto.com. Today however, we’re going to discuss her authorness—yes I just made up that word. If you’d like to read an interview with her on her photo work you can visit http://marysbooksblogger.blogspot.com/ look for the July 14th entry.

Mary: Before we start about you as an author, tell us a little about you as a person.

Caroline: I’m the youngest of five girls.  Growing up in a military family, we moved often, which made it hard to dig deep roots anywhere—or even to maintain friendships. That being so, I was a huge daydreamer.  I made friends up when there were none to be found, thus got proficient at dreaming up stories. 

Mary: What is up with the ‘walking across America’? (You can find it on her Potpourri page) What gave you the idea?

Caroline:  I saw it somewhere on the net and thought it would be a fun way to keep track of the miles I was walking.  Besides, I just thought it would be so much fun to have my own map.  I had a desk computer at the time and worked while I walked slowly.  Since we’ve moved I have a little different system, but I still walk 3 ½ miles, five times a week--at least that’s what I shoot for, and then record it on my map.  I want to walk from California to New York.

Mary: I can’t believe you’ve walked so far.  I do good to walk around the block. LOL. You’re off to meet your editor in NYC. That’s great! Now please tell us a bit about your journey from writing, to RWA Golden Heart winner, finding an agent and then to publication. Or in whatever order it went.

Caroline: Okay, I’ll try not to be too long-winded.  I began writing about twelve years ago.  I fell into the most wonderful critique group who taught me everything.  I was a Golden Heart winner with my first manuscript, CHASING JESSIE, in 1999, which is now published by Dorchester under the name WHERE THE WIND BLOWS. But getting from Golden Heart to published author took some years.  During that time I quit writing for four years until I realized I was unhappy without my *hobby*.  I took it up again and wrote MONTANA DAWN, which finaled in the GH in 2007.  In 2008 I got “the call” from Leah Hultenschmidt from Dorchester as a result of winning the Tampa Area Romance Authors (TARA) contest.  It was then I contacted an agent I’d been corresponding with and she took me on.  Since then, WHERE THE WIND BLOWS has tied for first in the Wisconsin’s Write Touch contest and is a finalist in the Greater Detroit’s Book Seller’s Best contest.  Winners will be announced at National. This past June I was thrilled to learn Thorndike Publishing has selected WHERE THE WIND BLOWS to be brought out in large-print format for libraries, to be released in October of this year.  And to top it off, Dorchester has just contracted to publish my third western, ONCE UPON A TEXAS TWILIGHT, the sequel to MONTANA DAWN.

Mary: Congratulations on all of your accomplishments! Where do you find your characters?

Caroline: My characters are everywhere, it seems.  They just come to me.

Mary: How do you research? And are you a plotter, story board builder or a panster? Or maybe a little bit of all three.

Caroline: I’m a panster and plotter.  Once I get the two main characters, I make a family-tree story-board type thing, and get some important back-story figured out.  Most of it never makes it into the story, but it gives me a lot of information to use. It helps me understand the motivation behind my hero and heroine.

Mary: Okay tell us a bit about your Golden Heart Winner Where the Wind Blows.

Caroline:  This was the story of my heart and will always be special to me.  Because of it, I went from 0 to 90 with one manuscript, so to speak. I love Chase.  Even though the story is really about two people and their children, in my heart it’s really his story.  It started in his POV and ends with a heart-shattering scene that’s his.  I think Chase Logan will always be MY hero!

Mary: And we will not forget your new release for August 2009 (this month) Golden Heart Finalist Montana Dawn.

Caroline: MONTANA DAWN takes place in the little town of Y Knot, Montana in the late 1800s.  The McCutcheons, a cattle ranching family, have carved a dynasty from the wilderness by the sweat of their brow and honorable values.  Luke McCutcheon, the third brother and the hero of this story, is the only one who was sired by an American Indian, when his mother was taken captive.  He’s the trail boss for the once-a-year cattle drive the McCutcheons make.  When he comes upon Faith Brown giving birth in her wagon, he’s shocked to learn her little son is Faith’s only help.  He agrees to stay and deliver her child.

I love stories about big families.  I wanted to give Luke as much unconditional love as he needed to battle his own ghosts about his heritage.  John McCutcheon, the youngest brother, is introduced in MONTANA DAWN, but you don’t actually meet him until my next book, ONCE UPON A TEXAS TWILIGHT, planned for next year.

Mary: These both sound awesome. Caroline, if you could tell a new writer something to help them on their journey, what would it be?

Caroline:  Enjoy what they’re doing, no matter what.  It’s awesome to be a writer—even before you’re published.  In essence, you’re creating a world that your characters--and someday your readers--will experience.  We writers have the ability to give everyone a happy ending.  What could be better than that.

Thank you so much for joining us today, Caroline, I’ve really enjoyed our chat.

Thank you, Mary, for having me.  I’ve enjoyed spending the day here.  In celebration of the release of MONTANA DAWN, I’m offering a signed copy to a commenter.  Also, if you go to my website (www.carolinefyffe.com) and sign up for my newsletter on the contact page, you will be entered in the drawing for a basket filled with candies, chocolates, muffin mix,  a handsome coffee mug (filled with even more chocolate!) and a jar of scrumptious jam, all made from the Big Sky State’s coveted huckleberry.  Also included is an autographed copy of both MONTANA DAWN and WHERE THE WIND BLOWS.  It’s as easy as pie.   The winner will be drawn on December 10th, 2010--just in time for Christmas.