Friday, August 15, 2008

August 21-22, Interview with Lori Wilde




Hi, Lori and thanks for the interview! Why don't you tell us about yourself? How did you get from your career as a nurse to writing romance?
Who's your favorite author and why? What inspires you?

47 comments:

Lori Wilde said...

Hi Vicki,

Thanks so much for having me on your blog.

Folks, Vicki is one classy lady. She volunteered on the RWA 2008 conference workshop committee and boy, did she do a great job. I was so lucky to have such a great team.

The question about how I got from nursing to writing is actually backward. It's how did a girl who never wanted to be anyting except a writer end up as a nurse?

My Dad was a journalist and he knew how hard it was to make a living as a writer. When I was 13, he showed me the Sunday want ads. "Look," he said. "There's three times as many want ads for nurses as any other career. If you're a nurse, you can always get a job."

Because I was a dutiful girl, I did what my father told me and went to nursing school. Later, I came back and said, "Daddy, do you know why you can always get a job as a nurse? It's because it's a damned hard job and not very many people want to do it."

So as soon as I got out of nursing school, I started planning my escape. I wrote and wrote and wrote. It took me twenty-two years to write my out of that career.

Nurses are some of the finest people in the world. I admire and respect them. But my greatest fear is this writing gig will fall through and I'll have to go back to it. That's why I push myself so hard and write so many books a year. So fear of nursing is what inspires me. LOL.

My favorite author? Stephen King. He's absolutely brilliant. I'm also a huge fan of Janet Evanovich, Eileen Dreyer and Deborah Smith. Deborah Smith writes amazing prose and it saddens me that she's so underrated. I like Eileen, because besides being a terrific writer who delievers on the emotion, she's a nurse.

penney said...

How interesting Lori! As a nurse's aide I agree with you on it, I quite to raise my 2 girls one is a special need child so I have my hands full.
I love your books they seem so real! Thank you
Penney

Nancy said...

Lori, I've heard of the fear of God being a motivator, but not the fear of nursing. Big grins!

It's SOOOO great to see you on Vicki's blog. She IS amazing, isn't she? What a love!

I'll do my best to follow your interview and respond again, so long as we don't have power or Internet interruptions with TS Fay. She's not bad, but odd things can take us down. :)

Light,
Nancy Haddock

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hellooo, Nancy, and thank you for stopping by. You are so sweet and I'm blushing over here. Hope the storm didn't affect you. Did it bring needed rain to the drought areas?

Hi, Penny. Thank you for your comments. You are spot on--Lori is a fantastic writer. We appreciate your thoughts. Give that child a special hug from me.

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Lori, thank you so much for the compliment. I do try and do very much enjoy volunteering, especially when working with people like you and Nancy.

Father's think they know best -- sigh. Being a nurse did bring you to where you are now and that's a very good thing. Hard work pays off.

So what is the appeal of writing contemporary romance? Have you considered writing in other genres?

What kind of writing turns you off?
What stops you from writing?

How have you shocked your readers?

Lori Wilde said...

Nacy,

Are you getting washed away? Hugs!

Tamara B. said...

Vicki you couldn't have picked a better person to interview! Lori, what a very interesting article about how you became a nurse. Your Dad must have been awesome and knew how to point you into the right direction for a successful career tha would promise you financial security. Glad you became a write! You ROCK!

Lori Wilde said...

Vicki,

I write contemporary romances because I'm a thoroughly modern woman. I've never been a big history buff so that let's out historicals. I've actually got a romantic suspense my agent is currently shopping. Fingers crossed on this project.

What kind of writing turns me off? Bad writing filled with clutter and cliches. I'll read almost any genre if the story is a good one. My least favorite genre is science fiction. I have a hard time picturing it.

What stops me from writing? Not much.

I don't think I've ever really shocked my readers. I'm not an edgy writer. I hope I've surprised them with clever plot twists and unexpected character development.

Lori Wilde said...

Hey Penney! Thanks for dropping by and sharing your story. Give your little one a hug.

smartblonde8302 said...

Hey Lori! I was wondering, which one of your books would you most like to see made into a movie?

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Tamara. I agree, Lori is the perfect person to interview. I'm sure she's done it 1,000 times before with way more influential people than me. Thanks!

Hi, smartblonde! Cute photo. And you asked a great question. Lori, what's the movie thoughts?

Anonymous said...

Vicki,
Lori is teriffic. I am taking one of her writing courses. It is a tough course but I am learning a lot.
Lori,
I too was swayed away from what I wanted to do. I was always interested in forensics/police investigation when I was in high school. The guidance counselors insisted that it was not appropriate for a young woman. Had I not been accepted as a flight attendant ('stewardess' back then) I too would bave been a nurse. I guess that is why I like romantic/suspense.

Janet Evanovich and Stephen King are two of my favorite writers too.

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Gillian. Girl power your way for your writing!

I came up with a theory a while back that we are lucky since Americans nowadays live longer and can have several different careers in one lifetime. We won't be bored!

cheryl c said...

Hi, Lori. Did your Dad live to see your success as a writer?
Also, are you ever able to use your background as a nurse in your writing?

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Cheri. Thank you for your questions. I wondered the same thing.

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Lori, tell us about your new book. Did you have any challenges in writing it?

Anonymous said...

Hi Lori, thanks for telling us about yourself and how you became a writer. And i have a question.. which one of your books was the hardest to write and which are you the most proud of?

xoxo- amoonzi

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Amoonzi. Thanks for your thoughtful questions.

Anonymous said...

Hi Vicki,

I'm new to this site, but not to Lori's writing. She's an amazing author. One of my favorites. I saw you had questioned her about her new book Addicted To Love due out in October. I was fortunate enough to read an advance copy and could not put it down. (400 pages in 2 sleepless nights - had to lock myself in my room away from the kids for that but well worth it) Her gift for story telling is wonderful.

Like Gillian, I'm taking some of Lori's online classes and am lucky to be learning from her. I'm very interested to hear Lori's feedback on writing this book as well. She involved such engaging characters throughout the book and I was wondering if it was a challenge to her threading all the story lines?

I can't recommend Addicted To Love enough. A deffinate BUY on my list!

Jean

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Jean. Thanks for the insight into Lori's book. Let's get her thoughts, too. And thank you for posting. I hope you'll come back.

Pat Cochran said...

Nursing is a tough job, but I worked for eight years in an area which was
a more compatible situation for me.
My nursing area of choice was in the
postpartum unit. New moms and new babies! There were only two sad
incidents in the unit during my time there. I only left because I was
near to delivering our first child!

Pat Cochran

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Pat. Thanks for your comments. I think Lori has a bunch of nurses who are fans!

Renee-Marie Roy said...

Vicki,

You are one fine woman to get one FANTASTIC LADY on your blog! I've known Lori Wilde for years, read her books and she's a personal friend of mine. LOL

Yes, she's come a long way from being a nurse to a writer. And I applaud her for that. Not every writer can do what she's done. And, I'm very proud of her of her accomplishments. She's the BOMB!

Many years ago, she started writing as Laura Anthony for Silhoutte Romance...if you want...I'm sure, you can still find her books on www.amazon.com. They are great. After that, she wrote for Harlequin Duets as Lori Wilde...she even has an Intimate Moments as Lori Wilde, then there is the Blaze and also Warner Books....so, keep looking for Lori Wilde.

I'm a great fan of Lori.

Sorry, Lori, I can't help myself...I've got to keep pushing your book and you. VBG You know I'm here for you!

Hugs,
Renee-Marie Roy

Lori Wilde said...

Ah Tamara, you're so sweet. My dad is really proud of me now. He says if he'd known how serious I was about writing he would have been more supportive. But hey, everything turned out okay.

Lori

Lori Wilde said...

Hey Smartblonde.

I actually had interest from nine movie production companies on THERE GOES THE BRIDE. Ultimately, nothing came of it, but it was fun to dream.

Lori

Lori Wilde said...

Gillian,

When I decided to write a romantic suspense I went back to school and got a certificate in foresenic nursing. I also volunteer at a domestic abuse shelter. I'm a sexual assault first responder.

Vicki done some really cool things in the interest of research as well. Citzens' police and fire academies. I want to do those too but my county/town is too small for such programs.

Lori

Lori

Lori Wilde said...

Cheri,

Yep, my dad's still here. I hope he gets to see me make the New York Times. That's my big dream.

Of all my books the one that's most likely me is SAVING ALLEGHENY GREEN. The heroine is a nurse and lives on the river. I used to live on the river and I loved it.

Lori Wilde said...

Vicki

ADDICTED TO LOVE was an absolutely dream to write. The only challenge I had was that my brother committed suicide while I was writing it. I dedicated the book to him.

Lori Wilde said...

amoonzi,

I can answer that first question without hesitation. The hardest book to write was A Thrill to Remember. I had an editor who had never edited for Blaze. It was the last book in a four book series. She made me rewrite the entire book from scratch FOUR times, throwing away everything but the hero and heroine's names. It was a horror. Finally I got my agent involved. She went to the senior editor and I got a new editor. But you know what? Miserable as that experience was, I learned a valuable lesson that freed me in a way nothing else could have. I can write anything and throw it away without a second thought now. It's an amazing thing to be able to do.

The book I'm most proud of? Right now it's ADDICTED TO LOVE. But I'm also pretty proud of the romantic suspense proposal my agent is shopping. It's not a complete book yet, so we'll see.

Lori Wilde said...

Pat,

I was never big on the baby having aspect of nursing. As the oldest of five kids and being 12 years older than the youngest, I had my fill of kids and babies long before I hit nursing. I did work in newborn nursery for six months. I tried working pediatrics but it broke my heart taking care of those sick kids. I was shift supervisor at a small county house and was on a few codes where kids died. It was the worst thing ever.

Dialysis ended up being my mian area of expertise.

Lori

Anonymous said...

Hey Lori, i cant wait till your new book comes out :)

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Wow, I go to yoga last night and crash afterwards and you guys were busy! Thank you so much for being here.

Hi Renee Marie. I've seen you around different blogs and its nice to meet you.

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Lori, let's get back to the craft of writing for a while.

How do you get your ideas? You write so many books. I remember feeling lucky to have one.

What is your writing day like?

And I don't think you've said yet a little bit about Addicted to Love.

Lori Wilde said...

Hey Renee!

How are those grandbabies?

Renee has the most adorable grandchildren. Get this, the other day she got carded with her granddaughter in tow at the grocery store because the clerk said she didn't look old enough to have a baby. How many grandmothers can say they've been carded? LOL.

Lori

Lori Wilde said...

Vicki,

Can I pedal my website www.romanceaholicsanonymous.com? I set it up just for ADDICTED TO LOVE. Pop over and you'll get all the backstory leading up to the opening of the book.

Here's the pitch that sold the book:

Jilted-at-the-altar twice!, a starry-eyed schoolteacher starts Romance-aholics Anonymous, only to inflame an emotional civil war between cynics and romantics in her hometown of Valentine, Texas.

As far as ideas go, the more I write the more ideas I get. I get a lot of stuff from dreams as well. It's not that things come to me full blown in dreams, but I get snippets, hints, cues and guides of where to go next. I've meditated for many, many years and I think that really helps you dip deep into the creative well.

I love to watch TV and movies when I have the time and often use them as jumping off points for ideas. I also keep up with current events and I love watching programs onI the Discovery channel.

My process? I write seven days a week for the most part. I try to get it all done when I first get up. Write until noon and then use the afternoon for my teaching and business and free up my evenings. It doesn't always work like that. If I'm on a tight deadline I have to give up the evening free time and come back to the computer for more writing.

Lori

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

I'm going to check out romanceaholicsanonymous.com right now! How fun. I love the idea of Valentine, Texas and all the romance things you have evolving. This is so creative.

I meditate as well and have found benefits in solving problems. And dreams! I woke up one morning and as I walked to the bathroom, a whole short story wrote itself. Our minds are truly an amazing thing.

Anonymous said...

Lori,

In Addicted To Love I was truly drawn to the hero, Brody. You did an amazing job with his character. The way you incorporated current events to enhance his strengths and flaws was great. I was especially impressed with how you dealt with 9/11. My husband works on Wall Street and is a 9/11 survivor. Having experienced many emotions first hand myself I really feel you did a wonderful job. I was wondering if you had any first hand experience with 9/11? Or are you just that gifted… :) Do you ever second-guess yourself when using such emotional issues in your writing?

Jean

Lori Wilde said...

Jean,

Intense question. I had no personal experince with ground zero during 9/11 but my father-in-law is a Pear Harbor survive and I translated a lot of things he told me that he felt during the bombing into Brody's character. I'm happy that I managed to pull it off.

I believe in "method" writing like method acting. For instance say in your story you have a character who accidentally kills someone. You've never killed anyone. How are you going to write their anguish? You take something that has happened to you. We've all hit an animal with our car. Remember that bone-sickening crunch? That horror of sadness and regret. Magnify that feeling. Blow it up in your mind. Wallow in it. Then give it to your character who accidentally killed a person.

Lori

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Jean, and thank you for posing your question. Give your handsome husband a big hug from me.

As you can see, Lori is one talented gal. I had no idea all the time I held a phone to my ear to pretend a conversation or pointed something at someone I was method acting.

Deanne said...

Lori,

I have become a fan. I had the pleasure of taking your "High Concept" workshop and learned so much. I loved 'There Goes The Bride' and just completed 'Once Smitten, Twice Shy' on my vacation. I loved both books. I am looking forward to reading 'Addicted to Love' which I was lucky enough to win a advanced copy from you. Thank you very much.
There are some authors that I skip through the descriptive parts of their chapters and just read what I need to keep interested. I found myself reading every word you wrote. I didn't skip a word. How did you learn to get across what you are describing without losing the reader or using too many words?

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Deanne and thank you for the question. Lori's book is on my desk as we speak to read over Labor Day

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Finally Friday. To wind up this interview with Lori, I'm asking a few fun questions.

Fill in this blank: your idealfictional hero would think you gorgeous if you _______________.

Usually I ask how much do you love cake. Today, I'm asking how much do you love Survivor? (lol).

Anonymous said...

Wow y'all have been busy.

I'm popping in a little late to say hi and love all the interesting comments.

Thanks Vicki for such a fun interview.

I got to sit in on Lori's high concept workshop in Dallas and agree it's a marvelous aide in finding your way to a 'commercially appealing' story.

I was also fortunate enough a while back to have the benefit of Lori's advice on a small hospital scene I'd written. Considering she didn't know me from Adam, I was and still am, greatly appreciative of the help.

Looking forward to reading the new book!!

and Nancy - I hope you're not one of the many swimming in their living rooms.

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Chris. I agree, Lori's high concept workshop was very beneficial. She so graciously sat with me and another author and helped refine our pitches. I always get requests, Lori!


And Nancy, hope everything is a-okay. vb

Renee-Marie Roy said...

Lori,

My grandbabies arrive on Sunday and I can’t wait to hold and kiss them! They’ll be with me for a week. If I can, I’ll send you pictures, again. LOL And thank you for saying they are adorable, even if they are. LOL Tomorrow, I’ll shop and I’ll buy them a gift. My grandson, James, who is 3 years old, well, I put his gift in my bedroom, when he arrives, I say, “Go to MawMaw’s bedroom there is a surprise.” I love the expression on his fac when he comes running. My granddaughter is 5 months old, so she doesn’t move like my grandson, but she loves the baby doll I gave her two weeks ago. She holds on to that thing like a security blanket.

And, I can’t believe you remember that story I told you about me being carded! Yes, it’s true, flattered, but true, a grandmother being carded in Wal Mart. Oh, Lori, you embarrass me sometimes and I love you to death.

As for, A THRILL TO REMEMBER, I know it was a hard time for Lori to write, but it was a wonderful book for ME. Lori dedicated it me, Renee M. Roy. And, I’ll treasure it always! Didn’t you say, Lori, it was one of your biggest sellers, after I publicized it on several loops? LOL

Hugs,
Renee-Marie Roy

Lori Wilde said...

Vicki,

I married my ideal hero. He thinks I'm gorgeous when I have no make-up on, wearing sweats and swearing like a sailor over something that's got my back up.

How much do I like surivor? Serious withdrawals here. I need my fix.

Lori

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, everyone! I can't thank y'all and all y'all enough for your questions. What a fun interview!

And thank you so much, Lori, for being here. You know I'm your fan. The website is great fun (and, uh, gee, I actually fit a category).

I don't know how many weeks until Survivor, but it isn't soon enough for the biggest fans of all time!

Addicted to Love, coming soon to a bookstore near you. And check out Lori's website: romanceaholicsanonymous.com. It's cute!

From the bottom of my heart, thanks to all. vb