What genre do you write and why?
I call it “Romantic
Adventure,” but it falls into the category of light or comedic Romantic
Suspense. My favorite types of movies have always been romantic adventures like
Romancing the Stone, Fools Gold, Six Days Seven Nights, Sahara, Knight and Day
and I thought how fun would be to write a romance novel that takes readers on a
thrilling, suspenseful adventure that isn’t quite as dark and serious as a
typical romantic suspense novel.
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| https://amzn.to/2HVgtDT |
Bahama Mama is a story about young mother,
Molly, who after years singing on the country music circuit herself with only
minor success, gets the opportunity to meet her idol, Anders Ostergaard, in a
very happenstance and kind of unfortunate meet cute. (It’s one of those
cringe-worthy and hilarious moments that you hope never happens to you!) But
when Molly’s daughter becomes entangled with some not so nice men and witnesses
a murder, Molly and Anders find themselves racing to the Bahamas to recover her
daughter and bring her home safely.
But Bahama
Mama is about so much more. Some reoccurring themes
in this series pertain to trust - trusting yourself, trusting your heart, and
trusting fate. And in turn risking your heart for love. These themes match the
adventurous nature of the story. The act of falling in love can be just as uncertain
and adventurous as the physical, heart-pounding action that make the book a
Romantic Suspense. Falling in love is actually the most common, complicated,
and risky adventure of all.
I took the characters to Bimini in the Bahamas
after they visit Nassau. I had the big climatic showdown with the villain
happen in Bimini, but my editor thought the chapters slowed down the pacing and
she was right. Even though it was painful to edit out three whole chapters, I
rewrote the climactic scene and I’m really happy with the result. I didn’t
completely toss the chapters. I’m hoping I can repurpose them in another story.
How do you select the
names of your characters?
I chose Anders Ostergaard’s name at the start
of the series. I wanted him to have a name that was very unique so that when
other characters heard it, there was no mistaking the person being referred to
was the celebrity by that name. Kind of like when someone mentions Benedict
Cumberbatch or Joaquin Phoenix. The first person you’re mostly likely going to
think of is the actor with that name, unlike the name Sam Smith, you might not
automatically think of Sam Smith the singer. I gave Anders a unique name to
help explain why Jimmy was compelled to legally change his last name to Panama.
Not only would the name “Jimmy Ostergaard” be a red flag that he was related to
Anders but I thought it would make it easier to notice the family resemblance.
I picked Molly’s name simply because I always like the name Molly and I thought
it sounded good with McBain.
Do you read your book
reviews? How do you deal with the bad or good ones?
I do read the reviews. I like to hear why
people are enjoying my work. The feedback makes me feel good and gives me
confidence and the boost to keep going. Fortunately, I haven’t had too many bad
reviews, but I try to take them with a grain of salt and remind myself that
people have their own particular tastes and books are very subjective. What I
write might not be someone else’s cup of tea and that’s okay.
What formats is the
book available in?
Bahama Mama is available on Kindle, iBook,
NOOK, Kobo, Google Play, and in print.
Some of my favorites are Diana Gabaldon, J. R.
Ward, Karen Robards, Cindy Dees, Johanna Lindsey, Judith McNaught, and Susan
Elizabeth Phillips.
What advice do you
have for other writers?
If you’re a new writer, or even if you’ve been
writing for a while, never stop studying your craft. Take a writing workshop or
read some craft books. I have two degrees in Creative Writing and I still
attend workshops regularly and adsorb the advice of other authors. It inspires
and motivates me and learning can only make you a better writer.
What's your favourite
quote about writing/for writers?
Tony Morison said, "If there's a book that
you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." That’s
what I’ve done with The Key West Escape Series. I’m writing books that I want
to read.
Where can people find
out more about you and your writing?
Please
follow me on twitter @tricialeedom or Facebook at Tricia Leedom – Author. And
you can visit my publisher’s website: www.fireflyhillpress.com to find my author page and finally, keep up to date on all of my future
releases, book bargains, sneak peeks, giveaways,
special offers, & so much more by subscribing to my publishing house’s
newsletter - Click here to join our Firefly Hill family!
Thank you, Jo and Writers and Authors, for
having me.
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2 Comments
Thanks for being on the tour! :)
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure. I love doing interviews with authors and finding out more about their books.
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