WW: Please tell us a little about yourself.
Sharon: This is always a tough question because I want to be different and to make myself sound so exciting. Like I’ve travel all over the world and jump out of airplanes and swim with sharks. But, sadly, I don’t do any of those things. For one, I’m terrified of heights so if I’m jumping out of an airplane it’s because I was pushed. And I wish I’ve traveled all over the world but no. Truth is, I’m a mom and wife who sits in her yoga pants and t-shirts and writes books on her couch because she can’t write books while sitting at her desk because her youngest dog can’t be left alone for a hot minute without chewing up something. Doesn’t that sound so exciting? LOL.
WW: Sounds so familiar! lol Talk about the book(s) you’ve written. What was the first seed of an idea you had for your book? How did it develop?
SC: LOVING THE EARL is my thirteenth published book. I write historical romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance and you’ll find a few contemporaries thrown in the mix too. But I think it’s the historicals that I’m sticking with now. I feel at home writing a historical which sounds odd because I live in the 21st century. But you gotta go with what feels right. Right?
The first seed of an idea. Well, Claire, the heroine makes an appearance in THE NOTORIOUS LADY ANNE and I knew she just had to have her own story. Claire was young when she first appeared in Lady Anne, and a bit spoiled. But when LOVING THE EARL begins it’s years later and Claire’s life has not turned out as she expected it to. She’s hurt and angry and determined to get the adventure that was denied her in her youth.
WW: Was there a scene that was more difficult than others? One that you pondered whether or not to include it?
SC: Ooooh. This is a tough question. There wasn’t a scene that was more difficult but there is a scene where my hero and heroine are stuck in a blizzard. At first the scene was a lot longer but I had to cut it down. That was difficult to do because I really loved that scene. Now I can look back and see that it slowed the pace of the story but, man, I loved it.
WW: A blizzard + a Lady + an Earl...color us intrigued! What do you keep in mind as you write? An overarching question? A theme? The last line of the book?
SC: Does my deadline count? LOL. I usually know how I want the story to end but getting there is a bit foggy for me so I try to keep the ending in mind. But mostly I concentrate on the emotions. I like my stories to be packed with emotion and that’s what I try to make drive my books.
WW: What are you currently working on?
SC: I just finished a proposal for another historical. All of my other historicals have been set in the Georgian era but this one is a little different. It will be a Victorian. I’ve discovered I really like the Victorian era. It’s a little more modern but still historical and no one wears the wigs anymore. I’m not a big fan of wigs!
WW: Haha! How do you balance writing, marketing, promoting, bookkeeping, family and work?
SC: I don’t. LOL. There are so many distractions that pull me from actually writing a book. Marketing/promoting/bookkeeping is usually done in the morning and afternoon. I’ve discovered that I’m a night writer. I write my best after the sun goes down so a lot of the time I don’t even attempt to write during the day. Mornings are when I get all the pesky details out of the way. Evenings are spent with the family and that usually means driving someone somewhere, sitting at a ball game or attending a school event. Come 8pm I knuckle down and write. I usually quit around midnight-1am. I’m a night owl so this schedule works for me. I hear about these writers who get up at 4am and pound a chapter out and it boggles my mind. 4am is the middle of the night for me. Usually I’ve only been in bed a few hours.
WW: Yeah, those social media posts from the weeeee hours about a completed scene...they're inspiring and scary all at once! Okay, readers, here's your peek at Sharon's Earl!
In Sharon Cullen’s sizzling novel of scandal and seduction, a headstrong beauty is pursued across Europe by London’s most notorious rake.
Having vowed never to wed again, widowed viscountess Claire Hartford is about to do the unthinkable: travel unaccompanied across the continent in search of a lover. Her adventure begins sooner than expected, when she meets a magnificent cloaked stranger on her ship’s gangplank. He is Lord Blythe, a man whispered about in London’s ballrooms and drawing rooms, a scandalous rogue hell-bent on seduction.
Nathan Ferguson curses the day he agreed to look out for his best friend’s wayward sister. The charismatic earl is traveling to Paris to uncover the truth behind his father’s death, but his desire for Claire threatens to be his undoing. From France to Italy, on a journey of passionate discovery and danger, Nathan is honor-bound to protect her—from himself most of all. What can he offer Claire? Only love, as he sets out to prove to the woman of his dreams that she belongs to him—body, heart, and soul.
Advance praise for Loving the Earl
“Loving the Earl is charming and fast-paced. It’s filled with passion, intrigue, a resourceful heroine you’ll love, and a delicious hero you’ll fall in love with. An absolute delight!”—New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jacquie D’Alessandro
“Sharon Cullen is a natural-born storyteller. Her twists and turns will keep you turning the pages.”—Margo Maguire, bestselling author of The Highlander’s Desire
“With its bad-boy hero and spunky heroine, Sharon Cullen’s Loving the Earl is sure to please readers looking for more than the typical Regency come-out story. Intrigue and romance fuse seamlessly in this adventurous romp that takes the reader from Dover to Paris to Venice and finally to a sigh-worthy happily ever after.”—Shana Galen, author of True Spies
Sharon Cullen is the author of the historical romance, THE NOTORIOUS LADY ANNE, LOVING THE EARL, and PLEASING THE PIRATE (available February 2014). She’s also published in romantic suspense, paranormal romance and contemporary romance.
Her other job descriptions include chauffer, laundress, cook and mediator to her three very busy kids, her husband and two dogs. She lives in southwest Ohio with her brood although her dream is to someday retire to St. Maarten and live on the beach.
If you’d like to find out more about Sharon and her books, you can visit her website. She’s addicted to social networking so you can find her on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter. Friend her! Like her! Follow her! She’d love to hang out with you and talk about her passion—books.
Congratulations on your latest release Sharon! Sounds like another winner. I really enjoyed your interview...especially the beginning where you had to describe yourself. lol Don't we all wish we could describe ourselves in that light...adventurous and exciting...but yoga pants are where it's truly at in the real world. lol
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the Wranglers! I really love that cover. I read some of this book, and loved it!
ReplyDeleteYummy cover, for sure, but the info on the story--just as intriguing. I can't wait to read it. I had to smile and nod when you talked about all those things you 'might' have done. Best of luck with Loving the Earl. Barb Bettis
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ReplyDeleteYour life sounds like fun. I'm one of those 4 AM writers, and I'd so love to be able to write at night, too--just because the whole feel would be different. The latest books sounds wonderful! Good to have you at the Wranglers.
ReplyDeleteLovely post Sharon. Best of luck with the book.
ReplyDeleteI used to be a night owl for writing, but now my typing is so God Awful and night, I cannot decipher what I meant to say.
ReplyDeleteThank you, everyone, and thank you Kristi for having me!
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