The next post in my author interview series features the lovely Eve Devon whose latest contemporary romance ‘The Love List’ I reviewed recently.
Falling in love is just not on Nora King’s To Do List…
Neither is accidentally super-gluing her shoe to her hand right before the biggest presentation of her life! With all the hard work she’d put into securing the family business after her father’s death, Nora has no choice but to accept help from a knight in shining armour. Disaster relief worker Ethan Love is still haunted by his last deployment, and desperate for distraction. He’s in town to ask Nora for a major favour, and swooping in to save her presentation is a sure way to get her on side. As Ethan sticks around and helps Nora through her grief, her barriers tumble down…but will she dare to swap her To Do lists for a How to Fall in Love list?
What inspired you to write your contemporary romance series?
When the hero from her Best Laid Plans, Jared King, finally admitted to me that he’d walked away from his birthright at twenty-one, I realised his actions had to have also impacted on his two younger sisters Nora and Sephy. I just didn’t know I’d get the chance to write about that fallout until I was offered a three book contract on the strength of Her Best Laid Plans. Immediately I knew I wanted Nora and Sephy to tell their story and get their own HEA. Family dynamics are fascinating and something we can all relate to. Sometimes no matter how we think we’ve avoided some of the stereotypical roles (eldest/responsible child), (middle/peace-maker) and (youngest/rebel) we find ourselves sitting right in the middle of those roles…but what happens when something occurs in a family that changes those roles completely. Who do you become and how does that shape your life?
I loved your heroines in ‘Her Best Laid Plans’ and ‘The Love List’ because they were witty and funny. Where do you find inspiration for your female leads?
Oh, that’s lovely to hear—thank you. TBH as soon as I gave up trying to make my characters funny or witty and just let them breathe and react honestly to their environments, I found the humour creeping in. I guess I have a wry and slightly zany sense of humour, so perhaps some of it comes with that. I like visual comedy as well. And I absolutely adore the kind of wit present in Gilmore Girls—so wish I could write that kind of clever/funny!
What’s next after ‘The Love List’?
I have the last King sibling—Sephy’s book coming out next year. It’s tentatively titled “Heart Couture” and I so loved writing about feisty single-mother lingerie-designer Sephy, who manages to get herself into quite the fix in the lead up to launching her new lingerie line.
I enjoyed reading your debut romantic suspense ‘The Waiting Game’ with its chilling suspense and menacing antagonist. Do you plan to write another?
I’m so grateful I get to write suspense as well as contemporary romance. I have a suspense continuity that features an alpha-geek head of R&D for a global security corporation and his reformed-rebel assistant. I’ve been told I write really creepy villains, and the one in this book is particularly intent on ruining the company’s reputation. I have another suspense I’m working on about an agent who’s lost his edge and a data forensic analyst determined to find hers as they tackle some corporate crime (corporate villains are particularly great to write because they can hide any psychopathy under a veil of ‘successful businessman’!), and, lastly, I keep getting asked for Megan and Alex’s story (from The Waiting Game). Watchthis space!
How important is writing in your life?
Incredibly. I never take being able to craft a story for granted and I really appreciate how it brings balance to my life and helps me be who I am supposed to be.
Have you a favourite author, book or genre that you read to relax? What do you like about them?
I can read across most genres and always find something entertaining but I really do love a little Nora Roberts or Dickens to transport me completely out of my world and into the lives of these fantastic characters they created.
Can you describe your writing process?
Usually a scene pops into my head and refuses to let go so that I end up mulling over “what if” scenarios as the characters start telling me secrets. Next I write a loose outline, leaving myself a little wiggle-room for the plot to breathe and take unexpected turns. After the outline comes the choosing of the notebook! Finding the right one is a ritual that requires considerable thought and… a lovely shopping trip. The notebook must be both beautiful and practical and contain four sections for: Characterisation, Research, Plotting Journal and Edits. I use my plotting journal section to write the number of words I’ve written that day, a plan for what I want to write the next day and any light-bulb moments that come to me. Oh, and the plotting chart, aka huge bulletin board (!), makes an appearance about a third of the way through the first draft when I need to have a bit of a think to make sure all the different threads that are starting to come together get tied up and I don’t leave any loose ends. Somehow through much pondering, procrastinating, angsting, charting, writing and re-writing, my book is born, completed, edited and released!
I’m sure like most writers you enjoy connecting with your readers. Do you prefer Blog, Facebook, Twitter or a combination of all of these? Why?
I love connecting with readers. Writing can be quite solitary so to be able to talk all things romance, or books; or just to be able to put the world to rights, I’m always up for a natter! I particularly love these places:WEBSITETWITTERFACEBOOK
You currently write for two respected publishers does this mean you would never consider self publishing? If not why?
I’d never say never, but I do appreciate the support and editorial services publishing houses offer.
Is writing your only creative outlet or do you have other artistic talents to share with us?
I cannot lie…I truly believe that “craft”, not tea, is Life’s panacea! You may have seen some of my “blingy bookmarks” around that I make to order. The dining table is usually covered in one of my craft “efforts”. As is the sofa. And the spare room. And I might have shoved some knitting in my bag! Rest assured though, no one—absolutely no one will, ever have to suffer seeing the results of my attempt at oil painting. The word “abstract” really didn’t cover it!
Thank you so much for talking to me today Eve and I look forward to Sephy’s story and your next romantic suspense.
