Interview and Giveaway with Roxanne St. Claire

Please tell the viewers a little bit about yourself.

First of all, thanks so much for inviting me to visit! It's really a pleasure to be here and meet all of your friends and readers.

About me...well, I go by Rocki (my mother said “Roxie” sounds like a stripper, so I’ve been Rocki since the day I was born). I’ve been writing romance and romantic suspense for about nine years and have recently finished my thirtieth book. This year is particularly exciting for me because I'm celebrating new releases in three different genres. My independently published romantic suspense, SPACE IN HIS HEART is available now and getting rave reader reviews. Next month, I'll have my first contemporary romance from Grand Central/Forever, BAREFOOT IN THE SAND, and my first Young Adult novel, DON'T YOU WISH, is being published by Random House/Delacorte. When I’m not writing (which is never!) I’m with my wonderful husband, our two teenagers, and one very cute Australian Terrier.
What is a typical writing day like for you?

For the past decade, writing novels has been my full time job, so I write all day, every day. I have kids, so obviously I'm a mom first, but when they were little, I wrote every minute they weren't in school. They're older now (one's in college...sniff) so I write/edit/work 50 hours a week or more. I like to exercise (well, I don't *like* to exercise but I do it) a few mornings a week, and once I'm done and showered, I'm at the keyboard either writing a scene or revising one I've already written. I write an average of three full length novels a year and that takes a lot of focus and time.
What made you want to be an author?

I’ve been writing “stories” since I was a tween, entertaining my eighth grade girlfriends with what would be considered “fan fiction” now. I dabbled with a few ideas in my twenties, but really focused on my public relations career. Always, always a huge reader, I closed a book one night in 1999, loving it so much that I decided I had to seriously try to write a romance novel. I finished my first manuscript about six months later, sold in 2002 and haven’t stopped writing for a day since then. I love writing for a living -- in many ways, it’s a dream come true. But it is a very hard job, sometimes lonely and always uncertain. However, I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Do you know how many books will be in the Guardian Angelinos?

There are three books in that series, but at least two characters who need stories! I’m hoping to write more, but am focused on my contracted books in the young adult and contemporary romance genres now. I can’t say when I’ll write Gabe’s book...only that I will.

How do you come up with your ideas?

Ideas are cheap, fast, and easy for me. It’s the rest of the book that steals sleep and sanity! Last night, I was at a meeting at my church and had the most amazing idea for a suspense novel. The real difficulty for most of us with fertile imaginations is not coming up with the concept for a story; the test is turning that idea into a 100,000 word novel with emotion, conflict, drama, and satisfaction.

What are you currently working on?

I just finished the second Barefoot Bay novel, so this week I’m unburying myself from a deadline. That means catching up on emails, doing laundry, conducting interviews, like this one! Next, I’ll be outlining and writing a rough draft of my second young adult novel, tentatively titled MY COUSIN DAISY. Oh, and I’m completely revamping my website, which is an enormous amount of work! I have three more novels to write before the end of the year, so I’m pretty much chained to my desk for the rest of 2012.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

I have so many! In romantic suspense, I love Linda Howard, Allison Brennan, Laura Griffin, Debra Webb, Cindy Gerard, and so many others! For straight contemporary, I read Louisa Edwards, Kristan Higgins, Susan Mallery, Mariah Stewart, and Susan Elizabeth Phillips. In YA, I’m all over the place - love Sarah Dessen, Simone Elkeles, and Meg Cabot. In paranormal, I send readers to Kresley Cole, Kristen Painter, and Gena Showalter.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Just that I’m happy to be here, happy to give away a copy of one of my books to a commenter (winner’s choice!) and I’ll pop in and answer any questions all day. Thanks! Oh, and I’m on my FB page (www.facebook.com/roxannestclaire) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/roxannestclaire) all day and I love to interact with readers. My new web site will be live and gorgeous by the end of March, so please visit www.roxannestclaire.com.

So leave comments and questions for Rocki! I will use Random.org to pick the winner on Sunday March 18! Make sure you leave your Email!!