MY INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR GRACE GOODWIN

MY INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR GRACE GOODWIN

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What’s your name and what genre would you consider your books to be?

Hello. My name is Grace Goodwin and I write science fiction and paranormal romance. Can’t really separate the genres, as my stories usually have elements of both.

Do you have a new book in the making and if so, what’s the name of your upcoming book?

I do! Cyborg’s Secret Baby is my newest release (May 23) and it’s a combination of a couple of my favorite things – smoking hot Atlan Warlord hero, BBW heroine, and a baby. I love little ones, and watching a giant Warlord fall in love with his mate and his child melts my heart every time. Add that he’s a wounded veteran banished to the Colony, and I never wanted their story to end.

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How did you get interested in writing this particular genre (historical novels, mysteries, sci-fi, children’s books, etc.)?

Age six I saw Star Wars. I’m blaming everything on “the Force.”

Do you have a favorite book out of this series?

I love them all. The warriors on The Colony are veterans who have been banished by their own people. So much reality to relate to there – and I do LOVE a good tortured hero. Makes their happily-ever-after so much sweeter and more satisfying.

What’s a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Do you set a daily writing goal?

I generally get up around 7:00, drive my youngest to school and head for the office. I have an office and an assistant (Becky) who helps me with keeping up. I work as much as I need to, depending on what’s happening that week. I used to work 7 days a week, but I was losing my mind and getting too grumpy, so I got an office and now I TRY to leave work at work. At least on the weekends.

How important are character names to you in your books? Is there a special meaning to any of the names?

I look up names and their meanings. Every time. It’s a private game I play with myself. Makes it fun.

Where do your ideas come from?

Neil Gaiman calls it “the compost pile.” Everything you ever see, read, think about, study, hear…it all goes into this pile of crap in your mind. You wait a while and poof…something grows. So, that’s my answer. I have NO freaking idea. Sometimes I think—“Wouldn’t it be cool if…” and they just poof.

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Is there a genre that you’ve been wanting to experiment with?

Young Adult sci-fi/paranormal. I have ideas for several different series.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

As in Indie, I have to do everything myself. It’s not just writing, it’s running a business. I work a lot of hours. That’s the tough part. But I’m doing what I love, so it’s also a blessing. Tiring, but fun too.

What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?

Raising three children. MUCH tougher than writing. And single parents? I kneel before you. I’m not worthy.

What’s the best thing about being an author?

Creating stories and working for myself. I have full control of my success or failure. For some people, that’s scary. For me, it’s exciting.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Writing and traveling. I’d love to write on a balcony in Paris, in a cottage in Ireland, in a beach house on Tahiti, on a Greek isle, etc… You get the idea. I love to travel, and my laptop can go with me anywhere! Writing is in my blood, so I won’t ever “retire.” I’ll write until I can’t write anymore.

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Have you always liked to write?

Yes. I started my first “novel” on notebook paper when I was eleven. 😊

What writing advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Keep going. Your first 500K-1Million words are going to be not that great. It’s just a fact. The faster you burn through those learning words, the faster you will make it as an author. Also, write every day. It’s a muscle. If 500 words feels like pulling teeth, do it every day for a month and it will be so easy you’ll be shocked. Then bump it up to 1000/day. Keep going. The more you do it, the easier it gets.

If you didn’t like writing books, or weren’t any good at it, what would you like to do for a living?

I’d want to be a doctor, a surgeon actually. I was a science major in college, but I was too burned out when I graduated, so I took a year off and never went back. Some days I regret that, but most days I’m happy with how things turned out. I LOVE writing.

Do you read reviews of your book(s)? Do you respond to them, good or bad? How do you deal with the bad?

I read every single review, good and bad. I never respond. I think that’s unprofessional. Everyone who takes the time to read my book has a right to their opinion. If the review is bad, I analyze what was said. Did they have a valid point? Did it sound like a troll? A jealous peer? Or is there something I can improve? I don’t take them personally, which is difficult for a lot of authors to do. I have teenagers. I don’t take anything personally at this stage in my life. LOL.

What is your least favourite part of the writing / publishing process?

Accounting. LOL. Since I have my own business, I have to handle everything. I HATE accounting.

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Can you give us a few tasty morsels from your work-in-progress?

Here is a little excerpt:

I felt a shudder pass through him where he’d pressed his head to my back, his chest to my ass, his hands—were shaking.

Had I done that to him? Was he as mindless and desperate as I? Did he need me to touch him? Kiss him? Taste him?

I turned in his arms so my back was to the door. Even on his knees, his face was nearly even with mine. God, he was huge. His dark eyes were glazed with lust and something else, something I’d never seen on a man’s face before and couldn’t hope to name. Didn’t dare, not when it looked so much like—reverence. Like worship.

Like love.

But that was impossible. Wasn’t it? I barely knew him.

He froze as I lifted my hands to his face, cupped his cheek, traced his lower lip with my thumb. He was beautiful. Truly beautiful. “I’m going to kiss you now.” Why I made the announcement, I had no idea, but I felt like I needed to give him fair warning, as if he needed to brace himself. Maintain control. Mentally prepare for an onslaught to the senses that would put him over the edge.

I shuddered. Or maybe the warning was for me. I didn’t do this. I didn’t have sex with strangers. I didn’t have sex with aliens. Hell, I didn’t have sex. I never felt comfortable with my body, hated looking in the mirror. That I wanted to strip naked and give anyone all of me was so foreign to my being I was having trouble making sense of the moment.

But I wasn’t going to waste this opportunity either. Jorik was gorgeous. Rockstar, movie star, sex god beautiful. And for whatever reason, he seemed to want this just as much as I did.

Lowering my head, slowly, so slowly, I stared into his eyes as I got closer. Closer. Closing them the briefest moment before my lips touched his.

He let me have my way, his huge hands resting on my hips, unmoving, as I explored and tasted. God, he tasted good. Indescribable. Perfect.

When I slipped my tongue into his mouth he moved, tugging at my pants until I wiggled out of them. Eager for some skin on skin action, I pulled my T-shirt off over my head until I stood before him in my panties and bra.

He looked his fill, taking in every inch of me. I waited for some sign of disappointment, but there was none. If anything, his gaze grew darker, more heated.

Was he real?

I reached for him.

“No. Don’t move.” He pressed a flat palm to the center of my chest and held me pressed to the door. So dominant. So hot. I whimpered.

Move? I could barely breathe.

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Why did you choose to write in your genre? If you write in more than one, how do you balance them?

That’s easy. Because I’m a science nerd. The first two movies I saw in the theater were Bambi and Star Wars. Needless to say, Bambi freaked me out and I thought Star Wars was the best thing EVER. (I was six.) My dad was a huge Trekkie and Battlestar Galactica fan, so I grew up on science fiction. And yes, I do write under other pen names in other genres. Those remain a mystery…for now. 😉

Where did your love of books come from?

My earliest memories are of sitting with my mom on the couch with my little sister and reading Cinderella and Snow White & Rose Red over-and over-and over. Not the Disney versions, the older stories. My mom was an English teacher and even when we didn’t have a lot of money, she never said no to the scholastic book order forms. We went to the library every week all summer. We always had books. And I grew up in the country with no neighbors – so I read. A LOT. It was my escape.

Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books?

Too many too list. But those that stand out are Nalini Singh’s Psy/Changeling series, Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey, The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley, and the early Anita Blake books by Laurell K Hamilton. I like books with strong women who take risks and follow their own path. They inspire me.

Does writing energize or exhaust you?

It’s exhausting. I mentally project myself into the world to the point that my keyboard disappears. I am watching a movie in my mind, feeling what they feel, seeing what they see. If it’s a battle scene or a love scene that requires both mental and emotional energy, I am wiped out after about 3,000 words. I can do more, but if I keep going I pay for it the next day as well. 3k/day and I can sustain.

What is your writing Kryptonite?

No sleep. If I don’t sleep, my brain is foggy and I can’t create anything.

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

Both. I don’t think one excludes the other. I know there are authors that would disagree, but I would tell them to study the market they want to write in and figure out the things in that market that are already successful – that they also love. Write in that lane and you can have your cake and eat it too.

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