Welcome to the Round Table. May I offer you a beverage before we begin?
Ednah: Could I have some Tantalizing Tea, please?
Ednah: Thank you.
Thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today. It's so nice to have you at the Round Table. Ednah is on tour with The Virtual Book Tour Cafe' and is offering some nice prizes some lucky commenters during her tour. Be sure to leave her a comment for your chance to win.
BK: Please tell us a bit about yourself....
Ednah: Oh boy. I’m boring. Really. I’m a stay-at-home mother of five although I got my PhD in chemistry. Making the choice to be a stay-at-home mother wasn’t easy. Let’s just say between DH’s job, lack of job openings and my little munchkins, I had to make a tough choice. Anyway, I was going nuts staying at home (kudos to women who do it, or combine outside home careers and raising children), so I decided to write. Actually, I like to say I taught myself how to write fiction. The transition from technical papers to fiction was…interesting.
I wrote everything from picture books and early chapter books to multicultural books. Of course most of them never made it to an acquisition editor’s desk and are still taking up space on my computer’s RAM. However, when you love something, you just keep chugging along. Plus, my children loved the children stories. When not spending time with my family or writing, I’m at the gym. Yeah, I’m a gym nut—I’ve got to be to keep up with five munchkins, six if you count my DH. On the flip side, after five c-sections and fifty approaching, there’s not much you can do about certain parts of your body.
BK: What inspired you to pen this novel?
Ednah: My sister. She lost her only son in a freak accident and I remember crying and thinking, life is so fragile and it can be snuffed out when you least expect it. So I decided to write about a woman who lost her family in a freak accident and what she does to find closure. This being romance and fiction, the hero of course plays his part.
BK: What draws you to write in this genre?
Ednah: I read a lot. At least, I used to before I started to write—from Tom Clancy and Mario Puzo to Jude Deveraux’s historical and Nora Roberts’ contemporary romance. But my favorite books have always been romance with elements of suspense. Not hard-core, police-procedural or espionage suspense. I prefer a character-drive plot with suspense intertwined in it. So when I started plotting Slow Burn, I knew exactly what I wanted.
BK: How do you keep your writing different from all the other novels in this genre?
Ednah: Okay, we know that romance is very formulaic, whether it is contemporary, romantic suspense, paranormal or fantasy, so what makes mine stand out are the characters and the sensual level. My stories have characters with issues anyone can identify with—the annoying family members or strong family support, body-issues (heroines), former bad relationship. In a nutshell, imperfect heroes and heroines with annoying and endearing idiosyncrasies. And the sensual level is a bit higher than most romantic suspense. This is more apparent in MINE UNTIL DAWN and in the fourth book I’m working on right now, Faith’s story.
BK: Who is your favorite character and why?
Ednah: Ashley. She’s sassy or spunky, yet vulnerable and sweet. I’m neither sassy nor spunky, so I live vicariously through my female characters.
BK: Which character would you most invite to dinner?
Ednah: If I can send my husband and the children on vacation, I’d invite Ron. No, I’m kidding. I’d invite Ron’s indomitable grandmother—the woman started a business and learned how to beat men at their game. She’s tough, yet loving.
BK: What is your favorite part about writing?
Ednah: I hate plotting, hate rewrites/revisions, so I’d say when I’m in the middle of the story, when the characters are solid and are talking to me day and night. Then I stay up late writing and hassle the kids to school the next morning, so I can get back to my characters.
BK: Did you find any particular challenges during the writing of this novel?
Ednah: When I had to stop writing to do research. Like I said, I hate plotting, so in the middle of a chapter, my characters would do or say something I didn’t expect, changing the direction of the scene and the next several ones. Typical author, I tried to redirect the story in the direction I wanted it to go. After a while I realized the story was a mess—my characters stopped talking to me. This happened several times, and I had to stop and do research. I’m not one of those people who write a scene for chapters ahead. If I’m not happy with chapter 3, there’s no way I’m doing 4 even if the scene is solid in my head. Yeah, I’m very anal like that.
BK: Did you learn anything about yourself as a result of writing this novel?
Ednah: Since I started writing…period…I’ve learned I like kinky bedroom scenes. I like to give my characters all the freedom they need in the bedroom…. Phew, I’m sweating just thinking about it. I swear my husband would be shocked if he ever reads my sex scenes.
BK: Are you currently working on any projects?
Ednah: I’m revising book 2 of the Fitzgeralds, MINE UNTIL DAWN
BK: Any advice for new aspiring authors?
Ednah: Write from your heart. Don’t worry about what’s hot now. With e-publishing, we don’t have editors and agents as gate-keepers anymore. You have a story to tell, go ahead and write it. Then join a critique group. I’ve never joined a local group, so all my groups are online and they are wonderful. Don’t feel self-conscious about sharing your work with other people. I was like that at first, but overcame it. You want feedback and you want it from people who’ve either published or been around quite a bit, so make sure you join a group that has some published authors.
BK: Where can readers find you?
BK: What inspired your book to be a series?
Ednah: I fell in love with the Fitzgeralds. They are many, high-achievers, interesting, so it seemed only natural to want to write all their stories.
BK: How difficult is it to write a series?
Ednah: I think it is easier once you have the background down. I also write YA, Guardian Legacy series, where world-building was necessary and once that was done, writing books 2 became a little easier. I think the same is true of contemporary romance too. Once I decided on the family background and what each character did for a living, all I have to worry about are their mates.
BK: What is your favorite part about writing?
Ednah: I hate plotting, hate rewrites/revisions, so I’d say when I’m in the middle of the story, when the characters are solid and are talking to me day and night. Then I stay up late writing and hassle the kids to school, so I can get back to my characters.
BK: Do you have a favorite book in the series?
Ednah: I love MINE UNTIL DAWN, the next book, which is due in July. Jade Fitzgerald reinvents herself after a bad marriage and has a chip on her shoulder. She locks heads with Vince from the first moment they meet. Luckily for her, he’s the silent, smoldering but protective type. I loved writing their story because they are both so damaged but are stronger for it and perfect for each other.
BK: Who is your favorite character? Which one would you most likely invite to dinner?
Ednah: Ashley. She’s sassy or spunky, yet vulnerable and sweet. I’m not sassy or spunky, so I live vicariously through my female characters. But I’d invite Ron’s grandmother. She’s strong, yet loving.
BK: Are you finding yourself running into any challenges while writing this series?
Ednah: Researching settings. I live in the middle of Utah, while the Fitzgeralds are in L.A., I have to research every restaurant, street and business.
BK: Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Ednah: My family. When I watch my 6 year old on ski slopes or her tiny arms slicing through the water as she does freestyle, I’m inspired to do something to make them proud as much as they make me proud to be their mother. I mean, I hate skiing and I suck at swimming… I had to do something unique.
BK: How did you come up with the title for your series?
Ednah: Love their family name-Fitzgerald.
BK: What do you like to read when you're not writing?
Ednah: I read everything…romance, YA, fantasy, espionage.
BK: Do you have a favorite author/book?
Ednah: I like J.R. Wards and L.A. Banks. Both write Vamp books. But my all time favorite author is Jude Deveraux
BK: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?
Ednah: I was born in Kenya
BK: What do you like to do for fun?
Ednah: Visit places with my children. I like to see their eyes light up (the younger ones). The teens are not easily impressed…sigh.
BK: What is your favorite food and restaurant?
Ednah: Italian. Firehouse Pizza
BK: Do you have any special announcements or events you would like to share with readers
today?
Ednah: MINE UNTIL DAWN, book 2 of the Fitzgerald will be released in July 1st and my YA GUARDIAN LEGACY series book 2, BETRAYED, will be out August 1st.
BK: Can you tell us about any projects you are currently working on?
Ednah: I am working on the fourth Fitzgerald book and my third YA book. The third Fitzgerald is with the editor.
She doesn’t want to deal with the past...
Ten years ago, Ashley Fitzgerald witnessed the death of her parents in a tragic fire and blocked the memory. She pretends to have moved on, is a successful artist and photographer, until the morning she opens her door to a stranger she assumes is a model and asks him to strip to his briefs .
He wants to expose the truth....
Wealthy businessman Ron Noble has the body, the jet, the fast cars and the women, but he hides a deadly secret. His father started the fire that killed Ashley’s parents. Now someone is leaving him clues that could exonerate his father and they lead to Ashley’s door. Blindsided by the blazing attraction between them and a merciless killer silencing anyone who was there the night of the fire, Ron dare not tell Ashley the truth. Yet the answer he seeks may very well tear them apart.
While a demented arsonist...SLOW BURN(s)...and plots his ultimate revenge.
Fun Facts:
BK: Fantasy or Horror?
Ednah: Fantasy
BK: Day or Night?
Ednah: Night. My creative juices flow at night
BK: Favorite Drink?
Ednah: Café Zinfandel
BK: Favorite Movie?
Ednah: Notebook
BK: What is a must have to write?
Ednah: Internet
BK: If you could possess a supernatural power, what would it be and why?
Ednah: The ability to manipulate people’s thoughts/perception of things, or Psi abilities as I call it in my YA Guardian Legacy series. Too many people are messed up because of what they saw or endured in their past. It affects their perception of things and people. Erase some of those things and they’d be normal again. Utopian world is impossible, but we could strive for it.
BK: Favorite Book?
Ednah: Whitney My Love
BK: Favorite Author?
Ednah: Jude Deveraux
BK: Favorite Song?
Ednah: Too many to count. Bring Me Back to Life (Evanescence), Dangerously in love (Beyonce), It’s My Life (Bon Jovi)
BK: Favorite Saying?
Ednah: Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." – Tolstoy
This is something I live by. After writing and receiving rejections after rejection, I decided to do something about it and re-invented myself, and here I am.
BK: Sometimes while reading a book we visualize a certain actor/actress playing the part. If your book were being made into a movie, which actor or actresses do you see playing the part(s)?
Ednah: Alyssa Milano) as Ashley and Colin Farrell as Ron
BK: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?
Ednah: I was born in Kenya
BK: What is the craziest thing you've ever done?
Ednah: End of freshman year, hanging out with my friends, drunk as a dog, we called certain professors we hated, used fake accents and told them we had crashes on them.
BK: If someone could describe you in one word, what would it be?
Ednah: Giving
Thank you so much for being at the Round Table today. It's been such a pleasure chatting with you and I wish you much success in the future.
Here is what Ednah is giving away:
Bookmarks, pens, fridge magnets and copy of Slow Burn
To enter simply leave Ednah a comment here today.
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