How long have you been writing romance and why romance?
I've been writing since college, but at the time, it was mostly journalism and PR. I didn't start writing fiction until I was married with two young children.

I write romance because I'm a firm believer in the Happily Ever After. In real life, as well as in fiction. It's not always easy, but it's always worth it.

Your first book came out in August of 2006 -- and this is my favorite question -- can you tell us what it was like getting that first contract? (i.e. Did you scream )
I wanted to! The kids were asleep, dh was out of town and I was online at about 11:00PM. I called him right away and babbled in his ear. I'm sure he thought I was a complete loon, but that's not uncommon. *gg* It was amazing. As soon as I hung up, I found a couple of people in a chat room at one of my favorite message boards and just dropped the news on them. I was still that stunned.

Could you tell us a little about the book?
You bet! Not Quite Dead is a romantic comedy. With dead people.

Sabine Harper just wants a nice, normal steady guy. What seh gets is a Dead Man Walking after her cousin accidentally mutters a reanimation spell that actually works.

William Breaux begged the Fates to let him avenge himself against his back-stabbing fiancee and vampire best friend, so he has three days to right the wrongs done to him. He doesn't plan on falling in love with a new woman in a new century.

Put if all together in a tiny Louisiana town, complete with nosy family and a trip to the Sonic drive-through and you've got Not Quite Dead.

What is your favorite thing about writing?
Playing in my head for hours on end. I had no idea I was so twisted! I'm just glad I finally realized I should put my daydreams on paper.

Is there a particular author who inspired you to write or inspired you along the way?
Christina Dodd is the first author I picked up when I started reading romance, so she was a big influence. Especially her fresh, funny voice. Previous historical romances were these huge, angst-filled bodice rippers. Hers made me laugh and still gave me the thrilling emotional ride.

I started writing while we were stationed in England (my husband was USAF, now retired) and two great things happened. I had the extreme good fortune to fall into an amazing group of women at the eHarlequin message boards and I joined the Romance Novelist's Association, which is the UK version of RWA.

Kate Walker helped run the RNA's New Writers Program -- and that meant organizing all of us fluttering chicks for our first national conference. We were conference virgins and she was the Virgin Mother. *gg*

It was unbelievable. I'd known these women on-line for almost a year by then and meeting them in person was absolutely extraordinary. Only the faces were new. Winthin minutes, we were talking like we'd known each other forever! So, Kate and the Brit Pack were a very, very big influence on me.

What is the strangest character name you've even come up with (either used or abandoned for something more reasonable)?
Good question! Well, there was poor Bane Westfield. Bane? I mean, what was I thinking? If he'd been a Viking or something, it would have made sense, but this was a Regency!

I had to abandon Agneta for the last story I wrote. It sounded good in my head -- very Italian -- but it doesn't look good on the page. She became Nerina.

But the worst name I ever saw -- and I think my lucky stars I wasn't this blind -- was Vyrgynne St. Sebastienne. I am not kidding. I saw it on the back blurb of a book and as soon as I recovered from teh spots dancing in front of my eyes, I put it back. In fact, I buried it under several other books.

Do you have any more books you're working on?
I just finished a short story set in Venice during the Italian Renaissance called The Virgin Courtesan. Load of fun to research! It will be available from Forbidden Publications on January 29th.

Then, on February 1st, my short story The Christmas Prize, which is part of an anthology called Dreams & Desires will come out. There are a couple of exciting things about this anthology.

First, it's all for charity. All the net proceeds from this book will benefit a battered women's shelter and I'm so proud to be able to help such a great cause.

And second, this will be my first print credit. The book will be on shelves at Borders and Barnes & Noble in trade paper and in hardback, as well as in electronic format at Freya's Bower.

One more question before I thank you for your time and your wonderful answers -- Do you have any advice or thoughts you'd like to share with as of yet unpublished writers?
Read, read, read, read, read. Then read some more. I know that when I'm on deadline, I just don't have time. But then I have to refill the well. I'm in the middle of edits for The Virgin Courtesan now and I finally have time to read again.

But mostly you have to write. I know I played around with this for a long time, but when I finally published, I realized that I was going to have to buckle down and get moving if I wanted to be more than a one-shot wonder.

Don't take it personally. Everyone gets rejected. Sometimes you need to keep polishing your writing, but sometimes it's just because it's the wrong story at the wrong time. But any rejection you receive has nothing to do with you as a person. This is a business, so when you submit, you need to leave the writer hat behind and become a business person.

So -- Read, Write, Submit. Repeat.

Thanks for the opportunity to be part of your newsletter, Cole! I really enjoyed this interview.

Thank you Sela for sharing!

Stop by and visit Sela Carsen at her blog. Her website! isn't live yet, but should be by the end of the month, if not sooner!