If you came for Fashionista Friday scroll on down, but why not enjoy this post first?
#1 NY
Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy talks inspiration, romance, and
research, plus tells us about how the Callaways' lives resemble her own… Check
out what she has to say then Read on for more information about this blog tour
and all its great prizes!
What do you love most
about being an author?
Being able to tell stories! I've been a voracious reader
since I was a child, and having a job that allows me to create my own worlds,
characters and plots is a dream come true.
What first inspired you
to write the Callaways? Where did you get the initial idea for the series?
I had wanted to write a family series for a while, and I
wanted the family to be blended, just to make the dynamics a little more
interesting. Jack Callaway was a widower with four small boys when he met Lynda
Kane, a divorcee with two small girls. They fell in love, got married and had
twins. The eight siblings are now adults and range in age between 35 and 25. I
also wanted the Callaways to stand for something. So there's a family tradition
of "serve and protect". All the kids are raised with the idea that
they need to serve the community, to help others and to always protect the
family as well as anyone else in trouble. And the Callaways always seem to find
trouble, even when they're not looking for it.
Which of the Callaway
siblings is the most like you? How are the two of you similar?
There is a piece of me in every character that I write,
which makes it impossible for me to ever pick a favorite. I do like Emma a lot,
because she's the one person in the family who has a close relationship with
every sibling. She's also independent, brave and loving, which are all great
traits.
Your characters all
have such fascinating jobs, and, in reading your novels, it feels like I'm right
there with them. How do you perform your research in order to make careers such
as a smoke jumper, homicide detective, or Coast Guard rescue pilot so
authentic?
I've read quite a few nonfiction books and articles written
by smoke jumpers, firefighters, cops, etc. And I have a writer friend who is
also a police detective, so I often ask her for help with the more technical
aspects. But what's really fun about writing is discovering new things—so I
love to write about people in careers I don't know that much about. In THAT
SUMMER NIGHT, one of the characters is tied into the pharmaceutical industry,
and I had never written a book that delved into that area. I found some of the
true whistleblower stories that I read in preparation for writing that book to
be fascinating. I think enjoying research is probably a big part of being a
successful writer. I was born with a curiosity and an imagination. Writing is a
great outlet!
The Callaways all
have such beautiful, unique love stories. How do you get in the mindset for
writing them? Are any of their stories inspired, at least in part, by your own
real-life love story?
I have a wonderful husband who always takes credit for being
my inspiration. And while that's true, as a writer I do love to explore stories
beyond my own personal experience. I like to bring together couples who
complement each other but also drive each other a little crazy. I think love is
about finding that one person who pushes you to be better, who challenges the
way you think, supports you no matter what and gives you that heady, dizzy,
wonderful feeling that comes when you fall in love.
I love that your
novels are not only awesome romances but also have gripping suspense as a
central part of the story line. How do you start planning your novels with the
romance or with the suspense—or with something else altogether?
I enjoy writing romance that brings a little extra in terms of a plot. So every
Callaway novel features a great love story, a puzzling mystery, some family drama
and a little nerve-tingling suspense. I don't outline in great detail, but I
always have a general idea of the suspense plot points before I begin. The
story takes shape and changes as I put myself into the characters' heads.
That's part of the fun of writing!
Congrats on your
groundbreaking, new partnership with Ingram to get the paperback editions of
the Callaways out to the world. What about this opportunity has you most
excited?
Since I formed my own publishing company and began
independently publishing my books outside of the traditional New York
publishing industry, it's been a challenge to get my books into print and into
physical bookstores across the country. Late last year, I entered into a
groundbreaking partnership with Ingram Publisher Services to sell and
distribute my books into retail outlets like Target, Barnes and Noble, airport
bookstores and supermarkets, as well as other bookstore chains. I know there
are lots of readers who still prefer to read in print, and I'm thrilled that they'll
now be able to read my bestselling digital series in their favorite format!
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