Keira: I hear you love graveyards and haunted places. Outside of New Orleans, LA and Tombstone, AZ what are some of your favorite haunts?
Genella: Great question! There is a particular cemetery that may appeal to everyone called Westwood Village Memorial Park. Hidden behind a few tall buildings in Westwood, CA, many a celebrity is buried there such as: Don Knotts, Dean Martin, Bettie Page, Natalie Wood, Mel Tormé, Marilyn Monroe and Farrah Fawcett.
The motion picture studio, for which I work, had our department at one time housed in Westwood and I used to be able to walk to the cemetery at lunch.
Keira: Did you find anything exciting in your research into Druid culture that influenced Love Divine?
Genella: It's always interesting to look into different cultures and religions. As in every major religion, there are different variations and/or degrees of worship. Today there are people who consider themselves Druid who worship in a "modern" way different from the original Druids. Back in the day, I'm sure there were sects separated by land or water, and even they worshiped to satisfy their own souls. In this particular religion, where no one wrote down or made people worship one way or another, was the very basis of my heroine, Aslyn's way of worship.
Human history as a whole is so beguiling to me. The possibility of reincarnation is utterly fascinating when you think about it–some things have a certain hold on us that we can't explain and I tend to think that these feelings are ingrained into our souls from passed lives. For instance, the moon: why am I so in awe of the moon? No clue. Was I a Druid at one point? *Shrugs shoulders*
Keira: Can you explain a little for readers what is cross-genre experimental? How do you label Love Divine?
Genella: Love Divine is definitely an erotic historical romance – the foreplay and love scenes can go on for *pages* and not in a superfluous way. I promise you will be rooting for the H & H to want to be together forever.
Keira: What is your favorite scene from Love Divine? What’s something you had to cut for the sake of your narrative but wished you could have kept?
Genella: Oooo, hard to choose, but one of my favorite scenes is when the bad guy gets his. Our Hero, who is trying really hard to be worthy, hands the villain his hat—and his ass. Hehe!
Another great question, BTW. Love Divine is my shortest story to date—I think it is around 33K. I didn't have anything to cut from this one. Usually when I get long-winded and in upwards of 80K, that's when I get into trouble. LOL
Keira: Do you think your Hollywood background has influenced the way you write and plot? Does it help you to be more concise as movies are limited in terms of length or the opposite?
Genella: Welcome to my biggest stumbling block. LOL In motion pictures, the audience usually has an omniscient POV (Point of View.) In other words, the audience almost always knows what each character is thinking—Unless you are watching a Hitchcock film. 
When I first began writing, I wrote so that the reader—and author for that matter, had that same omniscient POV. I've since learned—and still need a good slap on the wrist from my editor from time to time on this, that POV's in Romantic fiction don't switch back and forth like a camera's POV in a film. And I should have seen this in my early reading career, because back in the 80's, sometimes the hero didn't even have a POV – at least not until the end of the book. Even then his POV was likely verbalized. So there you have it, I sometimes wax omniscient. Sad, but true. LOL
As far as length of books or movies, I have to lean on how involved the plot is. For instance, there is no way Gone with the Wind would have been as spectacular if they stuffed it into ninety minutes. My favorite telling of Pride and Prejudice (that's right, people: Colin Firth is the ONLY Fitzwilliam Darcy forever and ever, amen) wouldn't be as amazing if they cut it down to fit the Hollywood motion picture standard length. (Thank you, A&E!!) So if you are writing a Lord of the Rings mega ensemble type story, keep on writing! Don't listen to those who say. "it's too long." Imagine what great stories we wouldn't have today if half the story was left to perish on the cutting room floor.
Keira: How do you define romantic love?
Genella: The romance part of a relationship, IMHO, must come from both partners. If it doesn't, the one doing all the giving is going to burn out at some point. There are so many ways to be romantic with each other on a daily basis—just google it, baby. LOL
Keira: What makes a romantic interlude sexy?
Genella: A romantic interlude in of itself should already be sexy—there's no getting around that one. Text your honey that you wish to have a romantic interlude with them. How is that not sexy?
Keira: You have signs on your site about “Say no to Piracy.” Have you had trouble with it yourself and your works?
Genella: Not yet, but it's inevitable. So many of my writer friends are struggling to make a living—and those free sites will someday be handed their hats—and their asses.
How can you help, you ask? (LOL, OK, you didn't ask, but I'll tell you anyway.) Every time you hear of one of those sharing sites, send the site's URL to organizations who fight ebook piracy. (RWA has an email addy that you can report 'sharing sites' to.) You don't have to tell the person from whom you received the info and you don't have to announce it to the site you are turning in. Just report them. The powers that be are already forming ways to track pirated books, so those places better get their hat boxes ready, baby!
Keira: When and how did the idea of Love Divine first come to you?
Genella: I think I was standing in my bathroom. No, seriously. When I detach myself from my right brain – like when I'm putting on my makeup in the morning, my left brain ideas just flow . . . and when I'm driving, and in the shower, and almost asleep. LOL
Really, a thought floated through my mind one morning about how difficult it must have been for everyone in the Roman Empire to have to convert to Constantine's New Church of Rome – and that church didn't stop at the boarders of the empire, as we know from history. So, yeah, that whole "forced to convert" thing trips me out, so I wrote about two people who find each other in that particular turbulent time.
Keira: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Genella: Well, from now until the week after I return from The Romantic Times Booklover's Convention, I'm having a contest on my website (which can be accessed from my home page.) The winner will get a bundle of goodies – Author freebies and give-a-ways from the convention sent to them via the post. Everyone can play, writers and readers alike – so do stop by!
In the Highlands of Britannia, 420 A.D., Aslyn, was raised a Druid by her late mother.
Now Rome has returned, but in place of a legion of solders, a single man peddles a new Roman god.
Ryus Jorian was sent on a mission for the new religion. But instead of a cave of barbaric souls in need of saving, he finds an intelligent, beautiful, hedonistic distraction whom his Bishop finds equally delectable.
Ryus must choose between the salvation of his soul and the woman he loves.
Aslyn must escape before she becomes the Bishop’s newest sacrificial lamb.
Online Stores - Toy Story Disney Characters, Movies Pins, Buttons Contemporary (1968-Now) Disneyana Collectibles
- Wet Site Ornamental Grasses Plants, Seeds & Bulbs Gardening & Plants Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living Nursery
- Canadian Fly In Cabin For 3 People Trips Fishing
- Motion Activated Sprayers & Nozzles Watering Equipment Gardening & Plants Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living
- Sensors & Motion Detectors Home Security Home Improvement
This post was written by...
Keira – who has written 1034 posts on Love Romance Passion.
Keira's favorite type of heroes are blind, scarred, and tortured... yes, she understands those should be separate, but all 3 at once is also nice! She enjoys historical romances best and adores audio books because great narrators turn books into auditory/mental movies (and she loves her romantic dramas like Pride and Prejudice/North and South!) Learn more about Keira in My Instant Turn Ons, Offs, and Ifs.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Thank you for hosting one of my blog tour stops, Keira!
G.