Pump Up Your Book Chats with USA Today Bestselling Author Dianne Castell

USA Today best selling author Dianne Castell writes for Kensington BRAVA. She also writes a monthly editor interview column for Romance Writers Report. Her books have won Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, been on the cover of Romantic Times Magazine and included in Rhapsody Book Club, Doubleday Book Club and have made the Waldenbooks Bestseller list.

The second book in her Savannah Sizzles series for the BRAVA line, Hot and Irresistible, hits the shelves Nov‘09. Hot Summer Nights is out May ’10.

Dianne lives in Cincinnati with her two cats and will do just about anything to get out of housework.

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Thank you for this interview, Dianne.  Do you remember writing stories as a child or did the writing bug come later?  Do you remember your first published piece?

I didn’t write all my life but I’ve always thought in stories. As a kid I had an imaginary friend and make up stories about our great adventures and then I made up a horse because we needed to ride and I had this whole other world going on in my head. When I had kids of my own I made up stories to tell them at night before they went to sleep. It was great fun. Stories about the adventures of Baby Mary.

When my oldest was thirteen I was desperate for something good to read and she tossed me a dog-eared worn out Harlequin. I read it and loved it. Only later did she tell me it had been passed around the entire eighth grade class as the kid’s supplement to their sex ed class. If only the nuns had know that! J

My first book, Court-Appointed Marriage, was with Harlequin American in 2001. I wrote for eight years before getting published and met the very best people along the way. I’m still best friends with Lori Foster and Rosemary Laurey, LuAnn McLane and Toni Blake, all who I met before any of us were published.

What do you consider as the most frustrating side of becoming a published author and what has been the most rewarding?

The most frustrating is the reject letters. Trying to find out what the editors want and give it to them. A writer spends a ton of time on doing good proposals and then gets it kicked back and that doesn’t end just because you’re published. Every time you’re up for contract you have to propose all over again…at least most of us do. J

Are you married or single and how do you combine the writing life with home life?  Do you have support?

Family first then the writing. But writing eats time and it often gets difficult to balance it with the demands of home and hearth. I think the best advice I ever got was to write four pages a day right off in the morning. That way you get the book done and not let life interfere quite as much.

I’m a widow for about a year and a half now. When my husband was so sick with cancer I didn’t write for months. Sometimes you just can’t put words on paper but then sometimes it’s a salvation because it gets you away from your own problems.

What do you like to do for fun when you’re not writing?  Where do you like to vacation?  Can you tell us briefly about this?

For fun it’s travel. I just got back from Yellowstone and The Tetons with my four kids and their mates. It was a total blast. Our first time out West.

And I love doing dinner with friends and going to shows and plays. And I love to hike and ride my ancient ten-speed bike that is bright orange but the seat fits my fanny just right.

If you could be anywhere in the world for one hour right now, where would that place be and why?

I’ll be right here chatting with you. I like home. I’ve had conversations where people say that the first thing they want to do when they get to heaven is lean to fly or something like that. For me, it’s have a kitchen. I’m all about home and family and to me that’s the kitchen where everyone gathers around and talks and catches up on who’s doing what.

Who is your biggest fan?

My kids. I have four of them and my brother. My kids buy my books even after I give them copies and my brother buys them by the case and passes them out to his friends. In my Nov release, Hot had Irresistible, I molded a character after my brother. My brother is Ray and he lives in Cleveland so I have a character Ray Cleveland.

Where’s your favorite place to write at home?

I always write in my office which I just redid. I’m surrounded by my fav books and pictures of my kids on a bookshelf along with the flag that is now in one of those triangle glass boxes but was over my husband’s coffin’s. I have  room at my desk for my two cats to sleep next to the computer…just like they are now… and three windows for great light and nice views of the garden. Come visit, we’ll have tea.

What’s your favorite library and why?

I am so lucky that the library is just around the corner from my house. I always bring them copies of my books and they know me. I’ve given workshops on writing and getting published. One of the girls is a good friend of my oldest daughter. It’s like family there.

What’s your favorite bookstore and why?

Barnes and Noble at Newport on the Levee in northern Kentucky is my fav bookstore. They are so good to me and always carry my books. I love them. What wonderful support!

Do you have any pets?

The two cats sleeping beside me now. One just walked across the keyboard and I had to delete a row of eeeeeeeeeee. Both are rescue cats. My son as four rescue cats and two of my daughters have rescue cats. So many cats, so few homes.

What are you reading right now?

My next proposal is for Silhouette Special Edition and I’m knee deep in the October releases. I love the Shopaholic series too. What fun!

Tell us a secret no one else knows.

I eat peanut butter right out of the jar with sugar and raisins sprinkled on top as I go. I can’t keep peanut butter in the house or it’s gone. I’m a peanut butter junkie!! Crunchie. Love the crunch.

What’s the first thing you notice when you meet someone?

If they have a kind voice. I’m all about the voice and how they treat people and not just me. How do they talk to the waiters and the maids and the grocery clerk.  I only want nice people in my life.

Have you ever won anything?

I won the Readers Choice award from RT and finaled in Golden Heart for Romance Writers of America and won contests before I got published.

What’s on your to do list today?

Work on the cowboy proposal for Special Edition and clean my office. The cats are starting to complain. I’m a baaad housekeeper!

I understand that you are touring with Pump Up Your Book Promotion in October and November via a virtual book tour.  Can you tell us all why you chose a virtual book tour to promote your book online?

A virtual book tour takes you places you would never go on your own. It opens up a whole new world of readers for you, gives you exposure beyond your normal genre. Even though I write romance my books are all about the South. Anyone who loves Southern things will like reading Hot and Irresistible because I talk the Southern talk and include the food and dress and way of life. Also anyone who likes talking ghosts would enjoy this read and there’s mystery.

The exposure on a virtual book tour is terrific and it’s a blast!

The most fun promoting my books that I’ve ever had. Thanks Dorothy!!

Thank you for this interview, Dianne. Good luck on your virtual book tour!

Thanks for having me. Nothing is more fun that chatting about books and writing. You made my day! Hugs.