A Roundtable Interview with

Karen Anders

www.karenanders.com
 

Interviewed by Tracy Farnsworth

Tracy ~ Welcome to Roundtable Reviews.  I’m always thrilled to chat with a fellow Vermonter (even if you have transplanted to Virginia.)  Do you miss anything about living here?  What don’t you miss?  (I know right now for me it would have to be the property values and taxes because I have been looking into housing down south and am still shaking my head over the differences!!) 

Karen ~ Thank you for having me, Tracy.  What I miss most about Vermont is my family.  In the early years, it was hard not having the support of people close to me.  But now I've made tons of friends and, although I still miss my family, I have a wonderful support group. 
What I don't miss about Vermont are the winters!  They were brutal.
 
Tracy ~ Let’s discuss your latest release, HERS TO TAKE.  Why a Navy SEAL when most of your other characters in this series work for the FBI, some aspect of law enforcement or firefighting?  Did you have to do a lot of research to build A.J.’s characteristics? 

Karen ~ I had an idea to pair a police officer and a cop investigating a military connected crime.  I knew I wanted my setting to be San Diego and the navy has the biggest presence there, so it made sense to chose a SEAL.  I did a lot of research on SEALs, but he doesn't act in his capacity as a SEAL.  He is working with Sienna as the liaison to the navy, a post he had his stepfather (the senator) secure so that he could look for his half brother who is somehow involved in the theft of military weapons.  I made A.J. a SEAL because they are the cowboys of the military, the free thinkers.  It's what they're trained to do, think on their feet.  These hero characteristics fit well in the story because Sienna needed a strong man and a man who was the opposite of her.  I knew it would cause sparks.
 
Tracy ~ Recently, I saw a comment made in a Yahoo reader’s group that surprised me.  I commented to the group about Navy SEAL fans would want to check out HERS TO TAKE. One reader, who happens to be a reviewer, stated that her experiences are that unless Suzanne Brockmann has written the book - there are no SEAL books that are worth the money.  What do you think? Do you feel that for some character's professions only one author is worth your money? If so, who is the author and what the character's profession?
 
Karen ~ First of all, I'm appalled that a reviewer would be so narrow-minded.  The very nature of a reviewer is to give every book a chance.  Of course, in the end, it is the reviewer's opinion she's giving the reader.  I just have to think that this is one person's opinion. 
Secondly, no I don't feel that character's professions are taboo if one author gains popularity by writing them.  It would be like never buying books about athletes because Susan Elizabeth Phillips is writing them so well and you'd miss a fabulous book from Rachel Gibson called See Jane Score.  Or take that a step further.  Forget romantic suspense because Elizabeth Lowell has cornered the market or Nora is writing family sagas.  Come on! 
I think an author is worthy of my buck if she writes a good book.  That's all that matters.  It's all that has ever mattered.  I think it's unfair to rate my book unworthy.  She may chose not to read my book, that's her prerogative, but to deem it not worthy of a buck because it's about a Navy SEAL is ludicrous.  That kind of thinking robs a reader of some really good books.
 

Tracy ~ HERS TO TAKE sets the stage for the “Women Who Dare!” series.  You have the workaholic Sienna; Lana, who is the more daring of the three; and then prim Kate.  You just finished Kate’s book.  That must have been a blast.  Can you talk a little about each heroine and the situations they find themselves in? 

Karen ~ Sienna, Lana, and Kate have to get souvenirs.  They make a pact in Hers to Take.  Sienna will go after A.J.; Lana will go after Sean; and Kate will go after Jericho.  This is what gets them pursuing their respective hero. 
Sienna plays by the rules and A.J. gets the job done.  This causes conflict between them when A.J. wants to act instead of staying strictly within the boundaries of the law.  And as I said, they investigate the disappearance of A.J.'s half brother and his involvement in the theft of military weapons. 
Lana is playing with fire.  Seducing her co-worker and best friend could play havoc with both her professional and personal relationship with Sean.  In the end she could lose big.  She's also unofficially investigating what she believes are serial arsons. 
Kate wants to stop being called Sister Kate.  She seduces Jericho, but he's the one that brings out the wild woman in her.  Trouble is that Jericho only agreed to mix business and pleasure on a temporary basis.  Kate uses her forensic knowledge to set an innocent man free at the risk of her own life.
 
Tracy ~ Like me, you were in New York City last month.  When you weren’t at the signing, what else did you get to do? 

Karen ~ My friend and I took a sightseeing tour of NYC.  We went to the Statue of Liberty, saw great architecture, and learned great trivia about NYC.  We also visited Ground Zero and paid our respects to the people who lost their lives there. 
We also went to the Off-Broadway play Perfect Crime.  It was really good. 
I went to a lot of the Published Authors Network (PAN) workshops.  I listened to Dennis Palumbo who wrote the screenplay for “My Favorite Year” among others.  He went on to become a counselor to creative people.  His insights into who a writer is, their doubts and his affirmations were wonderful.  His book is entitled, Writing From The Inside Out.  It's fabulous.  One of his affirmations is, "You as a writer, right here, right now, is enough." I also was invited to dine with my editor and senior editor at Tribeca Grille half owned by Robert DeNiro.  The food and conversation were great.  But Bobby must have been busy, because he didn't join us.  LOL! 
I also went to dinner with e-harlequin editors and fellow on-line read writers.  We dined at Gramercy Tavern and, Tracy, if you're ever in New York City again, be sure to eat here.  The food was scrumptious. 
I attended the Harlequin/Silhouette party at the famous Waldorf/Astoria Hotel in the Starlight Room.  What a shindig!  The band was smoking.  Me and my friends closed the place down.  There was dancing and merriment. 
I also went to the historic Woolworth building home of the Silhouette offices.  They had an open house.  It was great to see where editors worked.  They track all the books they're working on, on these big bulletin boards, so, at a glance, they can see what stage each one is in. 
I did so much more, but I'll stop here for space reasons.  Suffice it to say that New York was a great conference.
 
Tracy ~ You have two school-aged daughters.  I know my summers are much busier with my son and daughter bickering over every little thing.  Now not only are you a single mom, but you also have an administrative job.  How do you arrange your writing schedule around so many “duties”?  Like me, you must be looking forward to them heading back to school, if they are not already there! 

Karen ~ I write mostly at night and on the weekends.  My kids are extremely supportive.  Especially in the last nine months when I wrote three books.  Yes, I birthed triplets!  It was a killer, but I'm proud of my series. 
Actually, I find summers much easier then the hustle and bustle of catching the bus on time, homework, and school supplies.
 
Tracy ~ When you are picking a setting for your romances, do you stick to place you’ve visited? 

Karen ~ No.  I love researching new places.  In the future, I hope to be able to travel more and visit the places I write about.
 
Tracy ~ Writing for the Blaze line gives you more room to be a little hotter, sexier.  When you wrote your first Blaze, did you find it harder to come up with the steamy sex?  How do the Blaze authors know how much to include without going overboard?  That’s one thing that’s always amazed me ~ all of the books are steamy without becoming trashy. 

Karen ~ My writing has always been of a sensual nature, so I just had to push the envelope until I got my love scenes blazey enough.  For my first book, I delved into some common women's fantasies and let my imagination run wild.
Actually, I write what the love scene needs and I have never had my editor pull me back.  So Blaze wants us to press up against those boundaries and even go a little overboard.  It's great for the creative muse. 
First and foremost, Blazes are about love.  They start off with the sex, but love always follows.  At their core they're romances.  The hot, steamy sex is just window dressing.
 
Tracy ~ You are such a busy lady, how do you manage to get any downtime?  What hobbies to you enjoy when, more like IF, you ever have any alone time?
 
Karen ~ I get very little downtime, but when I do, I like to read.  I'm currently reading THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN, the third Harry Potter book.  My TBR stack is enormous.  I also enjoy going to the movies, out to dinner, and shopping.
 
Tracy ~ You’re currently working on two new books, Margo and Laurel’s stories.  Can you tell readers more about these upcoming books? 

Karen ~ I couldn't resist doing books about these two characters from my first Blaze, The Bare Facts.  Although I need to explain that these ideas are in the fledgling state.  They could change.  But here are my tentative plans for the next three books. 
RISKY BUSINESS 
Up-and-coming advertising go-getter, Margo Grant must take on former bad-boy goalie Tyler Hayes, president and owner of The Blue Line, a very popular and lucrative athletic sporting goods chain.  The large account will boost her fledgling advertising agency into the big time.  Only there’s one small problem in a large, overbearing package . . .Tyler rubs Margo the wrong way—until a challenge has him relinquishing his control to her body and soul. 
HIS WICKED DECEPTION 
Stockbroker Macallister Tolliver, III knows that Laurel Malone wouldn’t be interested in a man employed at her father’s firm.  Laurel refuses to date any man her father deems acceptable.  But motorcycle riding, hard loving, tough talking Mac is another story altogether. What happens when Laurel falls for his wicked deception and discovers that Mac isn’t the man she thought he was?  Or is he? 
ALMOST NAKED, INC. 
Dr. Jason Fox, inventor and owner of the new wonder fabric almostnaked© needs a woman to pose as the owner of his sexy creations, but Bridget Cole, sharp, take-charge PR executive may be more than this absent-minded professor bargained for when she wants more from him than a job.  She wants to open negotiations for a hot time, fully naked, in his bed.
 
Tracy ~ Thanks so much for joining us for our September debut!  It has been so wonderful getting to know more about you and I wish you the best of luck with HERS TO TAKE this month.  If there is anything else you would like to share, please don’t hesitate. 

Karen ~ Thank you so much Tracy for having me. 
I would like to mention that Hers to Take received 4 1/2 stars from Romantic Times magazine.  My first ever. 
I would also like to mention that I will have a free on-line read at www.eharlequin.com starting on September 2 called TOO HOT TO HANDLE.  This story will be told in chapter installments over eight weeks.  As you can see, it's a prequel to HERS TO TAKE.  Here's the blurb: 
When an arsonist destroys sex toy distributor Paige Dempsey's warehouse, it's discovered that someone's been using the U.S. Postal service to perpetuate fraud.  FBI agent Justin Conner wants to put Paige on the hot seat-except it's Paige that makes Justin's temperature rise.  Can Paige's sister Lana and her two new friends Sienna and Kate get Paige out of hot water? 
w/a Karen Anders, www.karenanders.com
 
Harlequin Blaze - The Diva Diaries - 02/03
Harlequin Blaze Women Who Dare! - Hers to Take, 09/03
Harlequin Blaze Women Who Dare! - Yours to Seduce, 11/03
Harlequin Blaze Women Who Dare! - Mine to Entice, 01/04
 

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