Have you ever wanted to get out of your current job? Anne Wyatt feels that way too. Ever want to put in less than 110% and in fact put 110% in doing the wrong thing? That's exactly what Anne does in Fire Me! Come meet Libby Malin, the author behind this hilarious outtake of working life in corporate America.
Was Fire Me your original title for your book?
Fire Me was definitely the original title and the one I dearly loved and wanted to keep-I was very lucky to have an editor who helped retain it even as other titles were considered.
What were some of the other titles that your book went through?
At one point during my writing, I did title it Feels Like Today
, from the Rascal Flatts song of the same name, since the book takes place in one day. But Fire Me kept calling out to me!
What were some difficulties that you faced when writing Fire Me?
Thinking of things for Anne to do to get her boss' negative attention and get her name on the lay-off list was actually harder than I thought it would be! I could think of plenty of things she could do to mess things up, but her stunts had to be attention-grabbers (her boss' attention, that is) and they couldn't be...cruel....or mess things up too much for those with whom she worked.
How on earth did you come up with all those crazy antics that were pulled? I was laughing my butt off throughout the whole book!
Aww....thank you! I love hearing that people laughed out loud while reading the book. I came up with a bunch on my own, trying to think what I'd LOVE to do (like having the boss announce a cut in his own salary!). But I also surveyed friends and relatives and asked what they would do or what sorts of weird things they'd seen employees do. One friend mentioned how she'd had to wait to talk to an employee who was finishing a computer game.
How do you come up with characters (names, appearances, personalities)?
Anne's name and appearance just came to me. I thought of her as having an impish personality, so a pixie-like look fit perfectly. Ken I struggled with a bit, wanting to create someone who had an artistic bent (and thus a rebel kind of look) but who was also very grounded in financial issues. For Mitch....well, there are some CEOs whose images came to mind when I was mentally drawing him.
Do you work with pictures when it comes to appearances and if so who did you base your characters Anne and Ken?
No, I can't say I worked with any pictures other than the ones in my crazy head!
What was your inspiration for this book?
I had a dear friend who was struggling with whether to stay at her job or seek something else more fulfilling. We started joking about how she could mess things up enough that she'd be let go, and thus the torture of indecision would be lifted from her. That lit the spark of the story idea.
Do you believe in love at first sight?
Yes, I do.
How do you define love?
Wow-that's a deep question. I guess I define love as the feeling of connection and affection that transcends the mundane, a bond between two souls.
What do you think makes a good contemporary romance?
I think characters you can relate to makes for a good contemporary romance. I like characters who are finding their way, muddling through. Not perfect, in other words.
Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?
Just a big thank-you to everyone who's read the book so far, enjoyed it, and let me know!
Visit Libby at her website.
Buy Fire Me
Originally posted 2009-05-05 05:11:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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By Christine Clemetson, guest blogger
When creating characters, one technique for some authors is to do extensive character development before the actual writing of the story. Before beginning the story, the author knows why the characters act a certain way and how they would react in many different scenarios. For me, developing the characters for “A Daughter’s Promise” unfolded over the course of the story. Starting out, I knew the characters names, physical attributes, and I had a raw sketch of their personalities. But I waited until I was actually telling the story, and actually put them into the setting, to let their full character types emerge. This became a journey of incredible discovery!
One of the most honorable traits I discovered about the main character Serene is her loyalty. She is loyal to her family and loyal to the beliefs she was taught as a child. Since my story is set during WWII, Italy, I found in my research that it was hope that gave people the strength to endure this dark part of our history. When Serene is faced with an enemy soldier near death, she is forced to make a choice: to abandon her loyalty or save the man’s life. It’s an agonizing decision that changes the direction of her life and grows her character. Through Serene, I wanted the reader to experience how faith in one another can make us stronger and give us hope, even when we are faced with the worst. Through her character, I tried to paint how people felt about the war—things that didn’t come across in all the research books I read.
The hero, Miles Coulson, is an American soldier who survives a brutal attack. When he learns of Serene’s promise (I can’t give that one away!), he cannot comprehend how and why she is compelled to make certain choices, which ultimately becomes the central conflict of the story. As his character unfolds, he comes to understand how her loyalty in a war-torn environment is what helps them survive—and ultimately helps them find happiness.
They both knew Serene’s turn had come. She took in a deep breath and touched his arms in a stiff embrace. She hugged him the way she had rehearsed in her head over and over, the way a mother would hug her son going off to war.
“I don’t care who sees,” he said gruffly, pulling her closer. He pushed her chin up with his
fingertips, and bent his head to kiss her.
She took his lips, his body, all of him, into her heart for the last time. Feeling the rapid beating in his chest, she fought the urge to mold her most intimate part against his.
When their lips parted, his warm breath on her neck made her body shiver. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she buried her face into his jacket. “I’m not ashamed about
what I said to you last night or what happened between us.” Her voice cracked. “It’s a sin, I know, but it was the most beautiful—”
“Ashamed? I don’t think I’ll ever have that kind of love again.”
Trembling, she stood back a little, clinging to her emotions with the delicacy of a spider web. “But you were right. We made the most logical decision.”
“Jesus, Serry. I want to tell you so bad that I—”
“You’re all set, then?” Sam said, coming back into the house.
Serene let go of Miles, letting her one finger intertwine with one of his pinky fingers. She couldn’t let him go.
Slowly, he released her and went to the door, putting one foot on the outside pavement before hesitating and turning back. His eyes were red, and she clutched the stair banister to keep from running to him. How much she loved him would be a secret
she’d take to the grave.
Carrying a bottle of whiskey, Marcus passed him at the door and gave him a friendly slap on the back. “I came to give you a goodbye, Coulson.”
Serene stood up straight and froze.
Miles jerked himself away. “Change of heart about me?”
His answer was Marcus’ deep kiss on Serene’s cheek and an arm around her waist. “I realized, Coulson, that I’m proud of her for taking the responsibility for you. I thought it was about time that I offered my apologies for the undiplomatic way I acted. We’re all in this for a cause, no? Why don’t we share a bottle to celebrate?”
“No, your change of heart doesn’t rub me the right way.” Miles offered an apologetic glance to Serene and then shifted his gaze back to Marcus. “You hurt her, and I’ll hurt you. You understand me?”
“Have a safe trip,” Marcus drawled.
Serene watched the driver help him in and her knees weakened. As the truck’s engine started, she braced herself against the wall.
“Don’t worry. Serene. Just think of this as a wedding present from me. No more worries about your American. He is well now and gone for good. Your only thanks is to marry me.”
She couldn’t hear him. Her throat ached and she made no effort to wipe the tears spilling freely from her eyes. She started for the door, but he grabbed her by the shoulders.
Buy: A Daughter's Promise
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Everybody say hi and welcome Cheryl Brooks, author of the Cat Star Chronicles, to Love Romance Passion. Grab a cup of something hot and let's get down to business. Below is the interview:
Thank you so much Cheryl for sitting down to chat! How did you come up with the idea for the Cat Star Chronicles?
I'd been writing contemporary romances that utilized the boy-next-door theme and had also written a number of stories that were requested by friends, but my original intention when I began writing-about thirty years ago, now!-was to write a science fiction romance. Then I read an erotic sci-fi novel about a woman who had to pose as a slave to a dominant male, and because I've never been a fan of dominant alpha males, I thought it would be much more fun if the man was the slave instead of the woman! So I wrote a story about a tough, independent space trader named Jacinth in need of a man she can trust with her life to aid her in the quest to rescue her kidnapped sister. Toward that end she buys an alien slave, whom she dubs Cat, hoping to gain his loyalty by offering him freedom in exchange for his assistance. Part of the appeal of this hero was that, being a slave, he had nothing but his strength, intelligence, and sensual nature to offer a woman. It was my intention that he be the last of his kind, but to continue this as a series, I created a scenario where six Zetithian men were captured at the end of the war that destroyed their world and sold into slavery and each book in the series tells the story of how one of them found love.
Should readers start from the beginning of the series or do you feel that they can jump in any time?
I think any series works best by reading them in order, however, I've tried very hard to make each of my books able to stand alone, and, according to several reviews, I've succeeded.
What is your favorite book so far in the series? How many in total will there be?
It's difficult to choose because though all of my heroes are irresistible Zetithians, they all have very different personalities, as do my heroines. I let my imagination run wild in Slave
, but Warrior
was fun because most of the secondary characters were animals with whom the heroine could communicate telepathically-and they all had plenty of pithy comments to make about humans! In Rogue
, my piano-teacher heroine had two stunning Zetithian brothers to choose from and some really fun aliens as the supporting characters. Outcast
, being about a man who has lost all desire for women, is more of a tear-jerker than the others, and it is also the first to be written in third person which gave me a chance to get inside the hero's head for a change, something that I enjoyed very much. I've had a blast writing the last two books, Fugitive
and Hero, too, so I really can't pick one favorite.
As it now stands, there will be six in the series, and possibly a seventh.
How did Sourcebooks first hear of your book?
I first heard of Sourcebooks when the Romance Writer's Report listed them as a newly approved publisher. They were accepting both paranormal and erotic romances, so I submitted the manuscript for my erotic sci-fi novel, and promptly forgot about it until the editor called saying she wanted to read the rest of it. She loved it, but it was too short, so I added a few new scenes and the manuscript was then accepted.
What do you think is the biggest appeal of fantasy / sci-fi romance?
For me, the appeal is that it places few limits on my imagination, and I think that probably holds true for the readers, as well, because there are endless opportunities for surprises.
I know you're a nurse; how does that work when it comes to writing on schedule? What is your writing routine?
I work three twelve-hour night shifts a week, which varies from week to week, so there is no schedule! I'm just like anyone else: I have free time, but what I do with it is write, rather than watch television. After Slave came out, I was encouraged to try to write four books a year-and this year, there are three-but found that I simply couldn't do it and remain sane. As long as the nursing job is the one paying the bills, the books will have to be limited to two a year.
Most of my writing is done in the evening, with blogging and emails, etc, done during the day.
What was the hardest part of writing your series?
Remembering the small details about different alien species from book to book and just where in the galaxy each planet is located. I probably need to keep a notebook of characters and species and draw a map, but I haven't done it yet, so I have to keep copies of my books close by!
In your own words, what is love?
A deep, emotional, enduring attachment that makes you consider that person's wishes ahead of your own.
What is your favorite aspect of writing?
The creative outlet it provides. I'd go crazy without it!
What makes a great written bedroom scene?
One that makes you tingle all over and want to read it again and again! The specific components can vary, but if it doesn't involve the heart and soul, it's just sex.
How do you decide character names? Who's your favorite male and female lead so far?
My male characters have all had a connection to the "cat" theme. There was Cat in Slave, Leo in Warrior, and Tychar in Rogue, which is an alteration of the word tiger. Outcast has Lynx, and Fugitive has Manx, which are both types of cats. Trag (Hero) is short for Tragonathon, which is a combination of a friend's name and the words tiger and dragon.
My heroine's names are sometimes suggested by their occupation or their personality, or it can just be a name I happen to like. For the more alien names, I experiment. Sometimes I'll take a traditional human name and change the vowels. Other times I strike random letters on the keyboard and then go back and play around with it until it sounds right. I may change the spelling several times while I'm writing before I'm happy with it.
My favorite hero will always be Cat (Slave), because he was the one who started it all, and Bonnie (Outcast) is my favorite heroine because she had the patience and kindness to turn Lynx's life around, which I'm not sure I could have done.
Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?
I love hearing from readers!
My email address is: cheryl.brooks52@yahoo.com
Website: cherylbrooksonline.com
I also blog on Casablanca Authors, Wickedly Romantic, and Cheryl Brooks Erotic Blogspot.
Buy: Outcast (The Cat Star Chronicles, Book 4)
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