A trip to the library when she was six years old began a life-long love affair with books and writing for bestselling author Barbara McCauley. “My father filled out the paperwork for my first library card, then stood back and let me pick out the books I wanted. I will never forget that magical moment when he told me I could take them home,” says Barbara, and adds that every time she walks into a library or book store, she still feels that same sense of wonder and magic shimmer through her. As an avid reader and writer myself, I completely understand the overwhelming delight and awe when surrounded by books. For those of us who love to read, “So many books, so little time” is our constant lament, and for writers, it seems there is even less time. And with “time” being the keyword here, I thought it best not to waste that precious commodity, and just jump right into my interview with Barbara.
Q: Romantic Times reviewer, Pat Cooper, wrote that your last book, “Blackhawk’s Bond,” was “beautifully written, with heartwarming characters…” I couldn’t agree more! Tell me how you’ve managed to create such “real” characters in your Blackhawk SECRETS! series.
A: First, let me say thank you to you, and to Pat Cooper! Kind words like that keep a writer going on those difficult days we’re just certain we couldn’t write a grocery list, let alone a book. But that said, I’d like to think that the reason my characters feel real is because to me, they are real. I can’t write until I really know these people, feel what they’re feeling, see what they’re seeing. Sometimes they’re slow to share those feelings with me and I know I have to listen to the silence and wait patiently, let the process of writing simply be.
Q: How do you “wait patiently” when you’re under deadline and your characters are not speaking to you?
A: Okay, so maybe I’m not always exactly “patient.” Even though I’ve written more than thirty books, I still struggle with deadlines and creativity. It’s such a Catch 22—a deadline is great for the impetus to keep your butt in the chair, but at the same time, a deadline can wreck havoc with the muses. It’s a delicate balancing act, and I admit I’ve slipped more than once. I envy and admire writers who say they can force this process through sheer will, but that’s never worked for me. So I wait, and I listen, and when it’s right, when it’s real, the words come. It’s this part, the magic part, the joyful part of writing, that keeps me going back to my computer, day after day. That, and of course, the Happy Ending. It’s the reason I read romance, and the reason I write them.
Q: Tell me about your next book coming out, what you liked about writing it.
A: “Blackhawk’s Affair,” a Silhouette Desire, will be out in April, 2007. I very much enjoy writing about characters from previous books, and the Blackhawks have become very special to me. This particular book I enjoyed writing because the “secret” between the hero and heroine wasn’t even revealed to me until I actually started writing the book! Mind you, I don’t recommend this when plotting a book but I do love it when the unexpected happens and it just fits. (Instead of giving me fits!)
Q: Do you have a motto you “write by”?
A: Too many to mention, and they change week by week, day by day. I like to clip motivational phrases out of magazines and paste them around my office. “I can, I can, do anything.” “Imagination has no limit.” “Believe and achieve.” On a daily basis I remind myself to appreciate all that I have (in all areas of my life), what I’ve accomplished, and what I still have to accomplish.
Q: So you believe that success is an attitude?
A: Absolutely! And even though I believe this with all my heart, I still have “difficult” days. That’s when I call a friend, or go through my “feel good” file, or re-read a note from a reader thanking me for brightening their day with a good book. These reminders fill my creative well, put me back on track and help me stay focused. My three C’s are Clarity, Confidence and Courage. Know what you want—see it, feel it—then go after it and never, never, never, let fear get in your way.
Click here to read more about Barbara McCauley.
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