Interview with Author Anne Holly

Today we have with us contemporary, paranormal and erotic author Anne Holly.

Hi!

Welcome to RomFan Reviews Anne it is a great pleasure to have you with us today.

Thanks for having me!

Tell us a little about your upcoming book V-Day. 

V-Day is an erotic romantic-comedy, centered around the quest of one sweet little band nerd trying to finally break the curse of being alone on Valentine’s Day – and trying to lose (or, rather, give) his virginity to the woman next door, who he’s loved for ages.

Earlier this month you also had another book released Bubbly, can you tell us what that one is all about?  

That one was the New Years Eve installment of the same series as V-Day – it’s erotic contemporary romance, but much more glamorous. It’s about a socialite who runs away from her own party with the bartender. 

All of those holiday stories feature mismatched couples, but in different kinds of stories – V-Day’s a comedy, Bubbly is a glam romance a la Danielle Steele, Charity (Thanksgiving) is a cowboy romance, Good for the Goose (Christmas) is a cougar romance, Like Magic (Halloween) is somewhat paranormal (no vampires, but it does have a witch).

Is there anything that you do to get in the mood to write?

Not really. I have a three year old son and a career, so I write whenever I can. Quiet is nice, especially at night or early in the morning. Coffee is a must. I don’t listen to music with lyrics while writing, as I find it confuses my brain, but I do enjoy listening to classical. Actually, V-Day was inspired by one of my favourite pieces, Beethoven’s Romance No 2, which plays a key role in the book. Daniel is a violin prodigy, so it seemed only right to give him such a wonderful piece of music.

I know it seems these two questions are always asked but readers and future writers like to know.  What do you like most about writing?  What do you dislike about it?

I love… hm. Pretty much everything, really. It doesn’t pay anything much at all at my level, so I’d glad for that! I love getting to see my characters form, and I love crafting lines. I like editing and smoothing, and I really love getting new covers. I like the fact that when I’m through, there’s something there that wasn’t before! And, of course, I love it when I hear that someone has read and enjoyed something I made.

Dislike. Many things, at times. It’s hard, hard work. Sometimes, I get so exhausted I could chuck the whole business, just so I can sleep. I get frustrated when the words aren’t working for me, and I get discouraged when I feel like I’ll never sell a copy. I’ve had a few rejections, which are disappointing. Sometimes, the writing work, and the promo work, makes me feel like I am letting other things in life slide, which can be depressing.

However, Charlotte Bronte once said that she wrote because she couldn’t help it, and I can dig that. The positives certainly out-weigh the negatives for me, because I am compelled to write, and I do love it. I’ve been writing in some form forever, so I’d miss it if I stopped. Publishing, I feel less compulsion, but there just came a time where I wanted to share what I created.

If you were not an author what else would you be?

When I am not a writer, I’m a mother and a teacher, so I’d keep up with that. Though, it’s possible that if I weren’t a writer I’d be locked up, since my imagination needs some place to go!

When you get some down time what would you be doing?

Reading, watching movies, even sleeping occasionally. I spend a lot of time walking. I bake sometimes, though not as often as I’d like to. I love to sit with my cat, and just look at the window.

Who are some fellow authors you enjoy reading?

I read a lot of non-fiction, as well as fiction, and I naturally love romance for my R&R time. LaVyrle Spencer is likely my favourite, along with the classics – the Brontes and Austen, of course. Mostly, though, I read whatever paperbacks my mum cycles to me, which she gets from her sister and other readers. The second hand paperback romance readers’ networks have always been the lifeblood of our community – it’s the only way most of us can afford to support our voracious habits!

Any advice you would like to give to future authors?

Basic advice for pre-publishing: Spend more time actually writing than talking about being a writer – just bum in chair and do it. Write a dozen novels for practice before you even publish anything, and give yourself time to get seasoned. It’s work, so treat it like work.

For publishing: Always listen to your editors very carefully, and never react in knee-jerk anger. Editors are not always infallible, but you can learn a lot from them if you can keep your ego in check. They’ll make your writing better. However, at the same time, know when a book is done, and let it go – don’t go on tweaking forever, because there is such a thing as over-editing. Most of all, understand that if you are asking someone to spend their hard earned money on your book, make sure it’s always your best effort.

Finally, I’d also tell any new writer that if they don’t love it enough to stick it out through some rough, boring, frustrating, depressing patches, then they shouldn’t count on the millions of dollars in advances sustaining their interest, because those breaks are a lot rarer than the rough bits.

How can readers learn more about you and your books?

I have a blog, a couple of websites, a newsletter, a FB fan page (and a regular one), and Twitter. I am also a devotee of GoodReads, if you want to know what I read.

And here’s my nice, official bio, with links:

Anne Holly is a Canadian writer of romance and erotic-romance, as well as a mother and teacher. She is the author of the novel Strings Attached, which was described by The Romance Reviews as “a classic contemporary romance.” She has been published by Wild Horse Press, Decadent Publishing and Rebel Ink Press, and soon to be published (2012) by Pink Petal Books. Anne’s work is characterized by its unusual heroes, sweet/spicy balance, witty dialogue, responsible citizenship, and its positive, optimistic nature. She has found a particular niche in holiday romance. You may visit Anne at her blog or website, or find her on GoodReads,  Facebook and Twitter  (@anneholly2010). Sign up for her newsletter here. You can email her at anneholly2010@gmail.com – she loves to hear from readers and writers!

Thank you Anne it was great to have you with us and hope you come back again soon.

Thanks for having me! It’s been a pleasure, and I appreciate the chance to share my books with your readers.