Elaine Cantrell

Tonya: Please introduce yourself to readers who may not be familiar with who Elaine Cantrell is.

Elaine: I’m a Southern girl born and bred! Except for a few years during my married life I’ve always lived in upstate South Carolina. I attended Clemson University as an undergraduate and later received a Master’s Degree in Personnel Services. I married my college sweetheart, and we had two fine sons; one looks like him, and one looks like me. I now have three grandchildren whom I love dearly. I’m a member of Alpha Delta Kappa, an international honorary sorority for women educators, RWA, and EPIC Authors. At present I teach high school social studies. I started writing about ten years ago, and since then I’ve had six books published. My work can be classified in the sweet to sensual range. When readers finish my book, I’d like for them to sigh because it’s over and rush out to buy another one because it made them feel good to read an Elaine Cantrell story. I want my readers to feel that a wonderful romance really could happen to them which is the sentiment that I try to portray in my tag line-Hope. Dreams. Life… Love.

2). Can you tell us about your latest release?

I’d love to. The name of the book is Return Engagement, and it’s published by Whiskey Creek Press. The book is available at http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=819 Here’s a blurb to tell you a little bit about it.

Elizabeth Lane has heard the call of the four most seductive words in the entire English language: what might have been. Would you risk everything you hold dear to find out what might have been? That’s the choice which Elizabeth has to make.

Elizabeth is lucky, for she has it all, money, fame, a satisfying career and a devoted fiancé. Her humble beginnings are all but obscured, but she isn’t the kind of woman Senator Henry Lovinggood wants for his son, Richard. Senator Lovinggood plans to make Richard the President of the United States; he’ll need a woman from a wealthy, powerful family by his side. Ten years ago he broke Richard and Elizabeth up, but this time it won’t be so easy, for Elizabeth wants to know what might have been. This time she’ll fight back, a struggle which ultimately leads to kidnapping and attempted murder and alienates her from the man of her dreams.

3). How did you come up with your idea?

I tossed the idea around for a long time before I tried to put it on paper. I wanted a story with some major obstacles for my characters to overcome, and I also wanted to create my ideal hero. I figured age, social class, interfering parents, and bad guys bent on revenge should be enough to keep any two people apart.

4). How did your characters come to life?

This questions really goes along with number 3. From my point of view, Richard Lovinggood really is an ideal hero. He’s handsome with beautiful shoulders (I never could resist a nice pair of shoulders.) He’s a one woman man, passionate, sensual, and romantic. He doesn’t mind taking on the world for the woman of his dreams. He’s impulsive and tends to be reckless, and he does have a bit of a temper, but everything he does is for the sake of his Elizabeth, the love of his life.

Elizabeth is my heroine. She has to be incredibly brave because Richard pushes her to commit her life to him, and if the truth be told, she likes her life pretty well just as it is. She’ll also have to cope with Richard’s family which includes a powerful, ruthless senator who doesn’t like her very much. Besides that, she isn’t sure she can handle Richard whose impetuousness shocks her.

5). Out of all of your published books which was your favorite to write? Which was your hardest to write?

Return Engagement without a doubt was my favorite to write. I fell in love with my characters and felt so bad when I finished the book that I wrote a sequel and plan a third book about the family. Return Engagement was also the hardest to write. I finished it years ago, but I was never satisfied with it. I’d read a sentence and agonize over whether one word needed to be deleted or added. Even at the last minute I was still changing it, trying to make it as perfect as possible.

6). Is there any story, character, scene, etc from your back list you would like to change?

No, not really. I’m satisfied with all of them. I’ve always gotten good reviews and reader compliments, and that’s good enough for me.

7). What's ahead in 2011 for you?

I have a new book coming out. It’s called Kara’s Change of Heart, and it will be published by Lachesis Publishing. Other than that, I plan to continue the Lovinggood series and start a fantasy novel.

8). What's your writing schedule like?

During the summer when I’m not working I can spend lots more time at the computer, but during the school year, I usually write during my lunch time, and then when I get home I put in another couple of hours.

9). Do you usually write by the seat of your pants or do you plan a novel from beginning to end?

I know where I want to start, and I know where I want to end up, but everything in between reveals itself as I go along.

10). How can readers contact you?

Email Readers, I’d seriously like to hear from you. Take a minute to say hello.

Thanks so much for this great interview. Thanks for being apart of Author Octoberfest! I look forward to seeing more from you.

Thanks for letting me come, Tonya. Your Octoberfest is great fun.