FROM MARIANNE STILLINGS

Answer to comment # 1 (Lory)

Dear Lory:

Thank you so much for your question. Unfortunately, unless an Italian publisher buys the rights to my books, they won't be published in Italian (if you know anyone in the business, please put in a good word for me ).

As for light and funny novels, while there are many readers who really enjoy them, some publishers don't feel sales are high enough to be financially advantageous. Besides, paranormal, chic lit, fantasy, vampire, and erotica stories are insanely popular now, so many publishers are following that trend and putting their efforts on what they consider a sure thing. Avon will focus primarily on historicals, as it has always done. Publishers go wherever the most money is to be made, and right now, it's apparently not with romantic suspense or humor except in already bestselling, well-known authors.

I'm changing my writing focus away from romantic suspense, but my books, no matter the sub-genre, will always have humor because that's just who I am.

Answer to comment # 2 (Hatshepsut81)

Dear Hatshepsut:

Thank you for your post. As I said to Lory above, it's unlikely my books will be published in Italian, but I can always hope!

As for writing with a partner, I'm not sure I could. I have my own ideas and strong opinions on how I want to do things, but I do have a writing group that meets twice a month, and when I get stuck, I ask them for advice and ideas. We help each other, and it makes a huge difference to have that kind of support. They are smart and creative and I don't think I could write a book now without their encouragement and opinions.

Thank you for your kind interest.

Marianne

Answer to comment # 3 (Naan)

Dear Naan:

Thank you for your question; I'm so happy you think my plots are intriguing. I appreciate hearing that very much.

The Port Henry trilogy begins with my first book, THE DAMSEL IN THIS DRESS, which was originally intended to be a stand alone. But when I turned in the manuscript for it, my editor asked for two more books. I liked Port Henry so much I didn't want to leave, so I decided the two new books would complete a trilogy, and give me a jumping off point for the middle book. I was afraid I was going to run out of ideas and that my second book would be terrible. It's a common fear among new authors, that they are only capable of writing one book so when they begin a second, they become frantic with terror.

I based MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIE, on Agatha Christie's TEN LITTLE INDIANS, but put it on an island in the American Northwest, and made it a romance. In it, the hero of DAMSEL makes a guest appearance, and I introduce Nate Darling, the hero of my eventual 4th book, which begins the Darling Detectives trilogy. There is a psychic in MIDNIGHT, but none of the books in the Port Henry trilogy is a true paranormal.

Book #3, SIGHS MATTERS, stars the brother of the hero of DAMSEL but was an unexpectedly difficult book to write because shortly after I began the manuscript, my husband of 20 years walked out. Going through a divorce and trying to write a "light, funny" romantic suspense when I was so sad proved to be almost more of a challenge than I could handle, but somehow, the book got done. I was afraid my sorrow would show in the book, but based on fan mail I received, my readers didn't notice and for that, I'm very grateful.

I hope I've answered your question; thanks so much for posting.

Marianne

P.S. A little over a year ago, I met a very nice man, remarried, and am very, very happy.

Thank you again for your question; I hope I was able to answer satisfactorily.

Marianne

Answer to comment # 5 (MarchRose)

Dear MarchRose:

Thank you so much for posting today.

KILLER CHARMS (my 6th book) is definitely a departure for me because it's a romantic suspense, but is heavily paranormal. NEAR MRS. was designed to continue in that vein. It involves a curse and the efforts the heroine must make in order to break it so she and the other women in her family can finally marry. I've only written four chapters of the story, and unless the proposal is bought by a publisher, I probably won't have time to finish it. Since I work during the day and write at night and on weekends, I can only write one book at a time, and that must be a book I have a contract for. I wish it weren't that way, but for right now at least, that's the way it has to be.

Another proposal is for SHADOWS ON THE MOON. It's a straight contemporary, and again, unless the idea sells to an editor, I'll probably never finish it. Authors don't have the time to write a 400 manuscript for a book that will never be bought and published, so we have to focus on books that will. It's really a shame, but the economics of the industry are such that authors don't have much choice, especially with a day job and a family.

As I mentioned above, my books will always contain humor because that's just the way I am. I'm a "funny" person, or so I've been told all my life. My sense of humor is different than most peoples' so it catches them off guard and makes them laugh. My books may not always be "light and funny" but they will always have humor in them.

To me, much humor comes from sharp, funny dialogue, so that's something I try to do with my characters. Sometimes I work hard to find just the right snappy come-back. I like the by-play between men and women, so have tried to capitalize on that.

Thanks so much for your post, MarchRose. I hope I've been able to answer your question.

Marianne