Tell us a little about yourselfWell, I’m 39 and holding and live in northern Oklahoma . I grew up in northern California , met my hubby, and traveled the world with him before we settled here. In that time, I’ve worked as a secretary, a firefighter, a waitress, the front desk manager for a five-star hotel, the housekeeping manager for a 200-unit lodge, a hospital appointment clerk, a commander’s secretary, and finally a risk manager. Geesh, sounds tiring even to me!!
Let’s see, what else? Oh, I have a total split personality *g*. I write paranormal romantic suspense as TL Schaefer and erotic romance as Keira Ramsay. I did it so that the folks who read my TL Schaefer stuff didn’t have heart attacks when they picked up an erotic title…LOL. And of course, vice versa!
When did you decide to become a writer?
I think I’ve always been one, but the real inspiration came to me in 1998 when we were heading home for a family reunion and I got the magic idea. By the time we got back to Oklahoma , the story was already fleshed out in my head, and I put my fingers on the keyboard, hoping what I wrote wasn’t total crap.
What was your first published work?
The Summerland, through Atlantic Bridge Publishing.
What is your dream as a writer?While I’d LOVE to make enough of a living to write full-time, right now my first and foremost love is with telling the story itself. I write about offbeat characters, and concepts that are really hard to shelve (I’ve had Berkley tell me that twice…grrrr!), but they’re the ones in my heart and mind right now, so if that means I continue with indie publishers for the time being, I’ll plod away at the day job!
What writing avenues are you currently pursuing?
Right now I’m working on a romantic suspense/paranormal trilogy about a school for “talented” children…and their subsequent use by the government after their extrasensory powers have been enhanced. Working titles are View to a Kill, Live and Let Die and Die Another Day. Once I’m done with the proposals on those bad boys, I’ll finish up my RuneQuest novellas (as Keira Ramsay).
Is there anything you wish you had been told earlier in your career?
I was one of those folks who was extraordinarily blessed by mentors of uncommon good sense. The only thing I went into writing not really understanding was the “category” and “shelving” concepts, and how rigid they really are. As I said above, I’ll continue to write the stories of my heart, instead of writing to a particular guideline, but understanding that what I wrote wasn’t easily definable might have saved me a bit of frustration early on.
What advice can you offer writers just breaking into a serious writing career?
Keep working at it, and practice, practice, practice. Find yourself a good critique partner or group, and really listen to what they say. When you’ve got a “great” group, their suggestions will make your work shine, and even though you might grumble a bit, in the long run, you’ll see they were probably right.
Anything else you want our readers to know?
I run a monthly contest off of my newsletter where I give away a $10 gift certificate to Amazon or Fictionwise. Check it out at http://www.tlschaefer.com/ to see if it sounds good! I also blog Monday through Friday about various things of interest, some of it even writing related *g*. You can find me there at http://www.musingsfromtheblondeside.wordpress.com/ Lastly, if anyone has any questions about independent publishing, I’d be happy to answer them at tlschaefer1@gmail.com
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