A multi-published author and former RWA President, Jill Limber’s latest books are Montana Morning, A Heart That Dares and The Right Track. As a child, some of Jill’s tales got her in trouble, but now she gets paid for them. Residing in San Diego with her husband and a trio of dogs and one very ancient cat, Jill’s favorite pastime is to gather friends and family for good food, conversation and plenty of laughter.
You can visit her website at www.JillLimber.com.
About the book:
In the Montana Territory town of Dennison, the law allows a woman to save a man from hanging if she agrees to marry him. Battered and nearly unconscious with a noose around his neck, Katherine Holman decides Wes Merrick is perfect husband material. Under the terms of her father’s will, due to a youthful indiscretion, she must be married to inherit. She expects her ‘husband’ to leave as soon as the deed is in her name. She wasn’t prepared for the fact that the man she has chosen turns out to be an honorable sort who decides to stick around and hold up his end of the bargain.
Interview:
Why don’t you begin by telling us a little about yourself?
I grew up in Southern California and I’ve lived in San Diego for many years. I really enjoy the ease of living in such a temperate climate, and there are so many things to do year round. I love it here. As much as I like to travel, home is always best. My husband and I have discovered cruising, and I adore the way you are pampered when traveling on a cruise ship. I think it is the ultimate vacation if you want to relax and enjoy yourself.
Were you an avid reader as a child? What type of books did you enjoy reading?
Absolutely. I doubt you will ever find an author who was not an avid reader first. It all goes back to the love of storytelling. As a child I loved any book about historical events or people–one summer I must have read Johnny Tremain a dozen times.
How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline?
I definitely plot first. I don’t make an outline in the conventional sense, it’s more like a long synopsis of the book. I write a rough draft from that, and I try very hard to turn off my internal editor until I go back for rewrites. I find if I fiddle too much with the plot while I’m writing the first draft, it tend to slow the pacing.
Did your book require a lot of research?
This book is set on a private train car that I have ridden for years. I also work as a personal chef, and owned a catering company in the past. I go along and cook for the owners of the train car as we travel cross-country.
What was your goal when writing this book?
Up until the time I wrote The Right Track, I had only written historical romance, and I wanted to try my hand at a contemporary story.
Who is your target audience?
My target is romance readers. This is a romance, pure and simple. Boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after. I love a happy ending. Life is too full of bad news to skip that!, Agatha Christie got her best ideas while eating green apples in the bathtub. Steven Spielberg says he gets his best ideas while driving on the highway.
When do you get your best ideas and why do you think this is?
I get great ideas when I’m in the shower. If you look at al these activities, it makes sense. I think ideas come when your brain is occupied with mundane tasks and free to wander at will.
Describe your working environment.
I have an office at home on the second floor. It is pretty much businesslike, except for the dog beds. My three guys like to keep me company and sleep while I work.
They say authors have immensely fragile egos… How would you handle negative criticism or a negative review?
If you have an aversion to criticism, this would be a difficult career path. Most writers hone their craft by having their work critiqued, and most work gets a slew of rejections before it gets published. I think the best thing to do is pay attention to critical remarks and use them as a learning tool. I try to not read my reviews. If there is a good one, one of my writer friends will send me congratulations, and that always cheers me up.
What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
This question is easy–my best writing advice came from Nora Roberts. Her advice was to put your fanny in the chair and write, because you can always rewrite a page, but you can’t do anything with a blank piece of paper. Better words were never spoken. Muse-wise? Sometimes she doesn’t show up and you have to go out and hunt her down.
Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?
I have a blog on my website, JillLimber.com, and I’m on the Boroughs Publishing website http://www.BoroughsPublishingGroup.com.
Do you have another book on the works? Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects?
I’m working on a historical romance right now titled The Ungovernable Governess, and hope to be finished soon. I set it in the house my grandfather grew up in in New York, and It’s been wonderful to research Buffalo he knew as a child.
As an author, what is your greatest reward?
To have someone say they enjoyed a book I have written. It is just so satisfying to know you gave someone who bought your book a pleasurable read.
Thanks for being my guest on The Dark Phantom today, Jill!
Great interview. I’ve been eyeing this book and her other historical that is on tour. They sound fabulous.