November's author of the Month is Liz Carlyle!

November sees Liz Carlyle, the renowned period romance novelist nominated as Author of the Month. This means all her titles are discounted by 50%!

She was delighted to accept and she took the time to give us the interview below.

We found her to be one of the more open and progressive authors we have spoken to in recent times, embracing the online and digital revolution in literature.

LC - It is an honor to be author of the month at Direct E-Books, and to have the chance to “talk” with my readers in Ireland. Thank you all so much.

Directebooks-When did you decide to become an author and why did you choose to write romance? What do you like the most about writing romance novels?

I have always loved writing, and was a journalism major in college. But I didn’t start writing fiction until 1997, on a whim when I was between jobs. I had been in corporate management for almost twenty years, and really didn’t expect to sell the book, or to make a living at writing, so my career change came as a shock to me. What I like best about my new career is that I no longer have to wear suits and stockings, or put on make-up. And the high heels—oh, the knees really appreciate forgoing the high heels.

-What is a typical day for you when you’re working on a novel?

Well, first I drink a lot of coffee and read the New York Times. Then I play with my cats. Then I drink more coffee and pretend to clean the house. Then I have lunch, and feed the cats. Then I go upstairs to my office, and read email and play with my cats. Eventually, I write a little something. Then I go back downstairs, and cook dinner for my husband. After dinner, he takes all the cats with him, and goes to bed. If I am on deadline, I will go back to the office and write a little more. If not, I go to bed, too! Well, maybe it’s not quite that bad, but I do tend to procrastinate a bit.

-Where do you get ideas for your stories? Do you ever use personal experiences when writing your stories?

No personal experiences, I am afraid. Would you read a book about a woman who drank coffee and played with her cats all day? I am very dull. The ideas for my books are constantly spinning around in my head. At times, I can’t stop them from coming. I don’t know where they come from, but I never run out. The hard part is making yourself sit down and write them, and figure out all the little details.

-Do you read romance yourself? Who are some of your favourite authors and how do you think they’ve influenced your writing? What would we find on your bookshelf?

Honestly, I don’t read much of anything anymore, unless it is a newspaper, or a research book. On my bookshelf you would find history and geography books, mostly. When I was young, I read every book by Georgette Heyer. I also loved Agatha Christie and Mary Stewart. From time to time, I try to read a little period literature, like Charles Dickens or Anthony Trollope. That helps keep my historical “ear” accurate. And let’s face it, they are amazing authors. Right now I’m getting ready to re-read Castle Richmond on a little vacation. That is one of Trollope’s great Ireland-set novels, and a work which really reflects his time in Ireland, and his love for the people, so I’m excited.

-What type of research did you do for your books?

Well, I read those history and geography books—although the internet has really changed how we research. I do try when possible to visit the place where my book will be set. I like to be accurate in my descriptions of what houses looked like, or how the countryside looked to the people of the 19^th century. So I do get to travel to England and Scotland quite a lot, which I love to do. I have not, regrettably, spent much time in Ireland or Wales, so they are high on my list for 2010 and 2011. And I just returned from Scotland where I finished researching the back story for my upcoming trilogy, which will be set in the mid-Victorian era. I’ll be travelling around Belgium in the spring as I continue to fill out the settings for that trilogy.

-What is the hardest part of writing a story? What is the funniest thing that has happened related to your writing?

The hardest part is making yourself sit down and type it out. I guess the funniest thing is that I ever got published in the first place. I had no experience, no training. I just sat down and wrote a book for fun, and here I am.

-Is there anything in particular, like music, etc, that helps you get into the mood to write?

No, I am a very focused person and I can’t have any noise when I work. Travelling to places I wish to write about is inspiring. And as I said earlier, I do read a bit of period literature, and that sometimes helps me get my mind ready to write.

-How do you develop your characters, or do they just form as you write them? In the end, are some of your characters different than you initially envisioned? And do you work from an outline or do you create your story and refine it later?

My characters write themselves. Very often they do not turn out at all as I had envisioned them. Characters can be very stubborn, I have found. I am lucky, in that I have been able to sell many of my books without a synopsis. Oftentimes I work with no outline, and barely a plot. It can be unnerving, and I don’t like working that way, but that seems to be how it ends up.

-Your characters usually have flaws and a dark side. How do you go about in the development of your characters? And when will George Kemble get his own book?

I like flawed, complicated people. I believe we all have a dark side, and that we cannot know our depths or our strengths until we are tested. These are the kinds of characters I try to write about. A one-dimensional person is of no interest to me. About Kemble, I don’t know what to say. He is such a private man. I think we got most of his story in THE DEVIL TO PAY. I do have a dream about writing a mystery series featuring Mr. Kemble and Max de Rohan, but right now, that market is just too crowded.

-Your books are extremely rich in historical background. Do you feel that this opens up other audiences for you that might not otherwise read a romance novel?

Honestly, it can help you and it can hurt you. In the U.S. there are many readers who like a fast pace and don’t want to get bogged down with too much historical detail. It is the unfortunate result of our television channels, I think. Outside the U.S., I think it has won new readers for me. So, it is a balancing act.

-Why do you think regency is a one of the historical periods so many authors write about? Why did you choose to set your books in this period?

The Regency was one of my favourite periods in history, and one which I knew a lot about, so I didn’t have to do a lot of research when I began my first novel. Remember, I was just writing for fun. My last few books have technically not been “Regency,” since they were set in the 1826 – 1833 timeframe. And my upcoming Victorian trilogy will start around 1848.

-What advice would you give an aspiring writer?

Don’t think about it, just write. And don’t study too intently what other people do, or you will never find your own voice.

- Do you have anything you'd like to add? Would you like to say anything to your Irish readers?

I would just like to say what a thrill it is for me to be read in Ireland! I really value my international readers, frankly, because they often must go to a great deal more trouble to obtain my books and frequently pay more for them than US readers do. I am very glad to be more widely available in the e-book format, and I hope that will make my work more accessible in international markets.

Thank you so very much for sparing the time for this interview. We wish you success in your writing career.

Thank you so much for taking the time to interview me, and for supporting the romance genre. Online booksellers and international readers have helped make the historical romance genre one of the most popular sellers in fiction. And that’s great news for us authors—so we should be thanking you.