Mona Ingram

Historical Romance and Modern Love

Reprint of interview with The Romance Reviews

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The Romance Reviews was kind enough to run a feature on my series The Women of Independence. Here’s how it went:

Q:  When you started this series, did you already have a clear vision of the books and characters you wanted to write about, or did that evolve over time?

A:  I thought I did. In my mind, it started out as one book with three female characters. I let my books percolate around in my head for a long time before I actually start writing, and when it came time to sit down at the keyboard, I realized that each of the three had a compelling story of her own. So it quickly became a series. It was important for me to make each book a stand-alone; (I’ve blogged about how I hate cliff-hangers), as well as allowing the characters to flow back and forth between all three books. I think I’ve accomplished that fairly well, and the readers agree.

 

Q:  How do you keep track of your series details?

A:  I’m what’s termed a “pantser”. For those who may not be familiar with this term, it means writing by the seat of your pants as opposed to using a strict outline. I’ve tried both, and for me, the story flows more naturally when I let it go off in directions I hadn’t originally considered. Makes it more fun, too.  I do, however, think of the book in scenes. I can often be seen sitting at my computer staring down at the keys. I’m visualizing the scene. I also buy some inexpensive card stock, and cut out pictures from magazines for the characters. They don’t have to be an exact likeness, just close to who the character is in my head. I give each one a label with their name and important details like age, height, hair colour, eye colour, etc. When I was writing Book Three, Never Look Back, I printed out a gorgeous picture of the Santa Monica pier at sunset. I was surprised by how often I looked at it.

 

Q:  In the first book, Loving From Afar, what kind of woman was Allison Ransome? How could she have borne losing everything, especially Cole? Tell us how this loss shaped her character.

A:  Wow, what a good question. It brings tears to my eyes to think about it. Rather than give the story away, I’ll just say that she went through a rough time after Cole left, but over time, the tragedy of what happened began to strengthen her resolve. Of course she had the love and help of her sister. But she never forgot Cole, and was never able to give her heart to anyone else.

 

Q:  What was Allison and Cole’s first meeting like, ten years later?

A:  It was tempting to have them run into each other’s arms, but I don’t believe that would have happened in real life. This is the most true-to-life series I’ve written, and it was important to me that it be honest, within the parameters of a romance. But to answer your question, the meeting was tentative, but poignant. They had both made mistakes along the way, and they had a lot to explain… a lot to think about. Actually it’s one of my favourite scenes, because it’s so real. When he rides off, I can feel the ache in her heart, wanting to reach out to him.

 

Q:  In book two, The Last Goodbye, what kind of man is Grayson, that he so captivated Danielle? What do you feel is the most heartrending moment between them?

A:  Grayson is a director from Hollywood, where you’re only as good as your last film. Danielle doesn’t want to fall for him, but he’s handsome, charming, and vulnerable at the same time. They have many of the same interests, and it’s almost inevitable that they would fall in love. The most heartrending moment is one I enjoyed writing. She can’t bear to say goodbye in person, but she knows the direction the film production company’s private jet will take to climb out of the valley. She rides her horse up to a rocky promontory and waves goodbye.

 

Q:  In Never Look Back, book three, please tell us more about Maya. How did the past play a role in shaping her character?

A:  Maya leaves home when her step-father starts showing an unhealthy interest in her. She’s watched her mother rely on first her father, then her step-father all her life, and determines that she will be independent.  To that end, she works hard to save money with the goal of buying a small home. Falling in love is something she’s never considered, but when it happens, she falls hard.

 

Q:  Which is your favorite scene in the entire series? Why?

A:  The scene at the end of the last chapter in Book Three, Never Look Back. There’s something about this scene, where Maya is watching people walk the red carpet at the Academy Awards.  I can see her leaning forward, talking to the television, and I honestly shed a few tears when I wrote it. I re-read it the other day, and it still chokes me up.

 

Q:  Among all the characters in the series, major and minor, which is your favorite? Why?

A:  I have one of each… major and minor. Carmen Santangelo plays an important, but secondary role as the movie star who comes to Green Lake Ranch in Book Two and captures the heart of Danielle’s Uncle Jake. She’s earthy, she’s sexy, and she knows what she wants. I also like Cole, Allison’s love interest in Book One. He protected his friend, he helps youths at risk, and his moral compass doesn’t waver. Some readers didn’t care for the fact that he had a love interest in the ten years he was separated from Allison, but here again, I made this series real, and I believe that’s what a young man would do.

 

Q:  What kind of research did you do in the process of writing this series? Please share with us an interesting fact that you came across.

A:  In Book Two, Grayson has a ranch near San Luis Obispo. I haven’t been there, but I went to Google maps and took my little orange man and drove along the roads out toward where I imagined his ranch would be. The surrounding area is very similar to where this series takes place… the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. I love that little Google guy.

 

Q:  Will there be more in The Women of Independence series? Please give us a sneak peek.

A:  Yes, there will be one more book, but not for a while. I believe that Katie deserves a book of her own, and readers agree. In the meantime… oh, I see you’ve asked that in the next question.

 

Q:  What’s up next for you?

A:  As this interview goes live, I’m just starting a new series. It’s a historical romance series featuring three different women, a slight departure for me, but I’m quite excited about it.

 

 

Fast Answer Questions:

Last book you read:Creole Belle, by James Lee Burke

Favorite vacation location:  Long Beach, on the West Coast of Vancouver Island.

Favorite dessert:  Crème brulée

Favorite drink:  Ice cold water

Favorite place to write:In the darkened, quiet corner I have set up specifically for that purpose

 

I actually enjoyed this interview!

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This interview is with Fiona McVie. See link at bottom of page.
Mona:  Hi, Fiona. Glad to be with you.
Where are you from?
 I live in the beautiful Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. Think a long, sparkling lake with plenty of beaches. Add in orchards, vineyards, ski hills in the winter, golf courses galore, and you get the picture.
Tell us a little about yourself.
  I spent my younger years in northern British Columbia, then went to UBC for a couple of years, before going to the Sorbonne in Paris for French immersion. When I came back, I went to work in Vancouver for a travel agency, and stayed in travel-related jobs for most of my working life. I’m lucky to have travelled extensively; it opens the imagination.
Fiona: Tell us your latest news
I’ve recently released my eighteenth book on Amazon. It’s the first in a series called The Women of Independence, and it’s entitled Loving From Afar. It’s a romance with a difference. I like to describe it as a book that will break your heart, then put it back together.
Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
I’ve read all my life. My mother took us to the library from a young age. Sometimes I can still recall the smell of the books as we sat on the floor for story hour.  As I read more as an adult, there were many times I thought “I can do this”, so I did. I was naïve enough to think that I’d write a best-seller right out of the gate, but of course that didn’t happen.
Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I don’t think about it very much. I rarely tell people what I do. I’ve made that mistake a few times and they give me odd looks. I think they’re wondering if I’m going to put them in a book.
Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?
 I like to think of my style as casual. I don’t care for over-blown romance novels. I also enjoy putting in a twist here or there. The reader usually knows it’s coming, but we both pretend we don’t, and discover the surprise together.
Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
 Loving From Afar is a story about a young woman who’s had everything stripped away from her, and yet she continues to love a young man from her past. It’s as though she’s watching life from a distance.
Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I don’t write books to impart a message. I leave that to people who are much wiser than I, but I would hope that the book gives them something to think about.
Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?
I try hard to make it all realistic.
Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life
Not really, but I can easily imagine a young woman going through these trials.
Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I really enjoy Maeve Binchy.
Fiona: What book are you reading now?
Four Fires by Bryce Courtenay.
Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
I read constantly, but I confess I don’t pay much attention to the names. I’m more likely to remember author names when the books are poorly written.
Fiona: What are your current projects?
I’m writing book two of the series The Women of Independence. This one is titled The Last Goodbye.
Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members
I dreamed of writing for many years before I started. My friends put up with me during those long years. They were so patient!
Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
Not originally, but now I can’t stop.
Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
No.
Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?
This new book focuses on Danielle, the closest friend of the main character in the first book. A Hollywood film company comes to shoot on her uncle’s ranch, and Danielle is attracted to the producer.
Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Keeping my butt in the chair when it’s sunny outside.
Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
I’d have to say Bryce Courtenay. He has an uncanny ability to tell a story from the POV of a young child, and I find that charming.
Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
  I’ve done so much already, it’s usually not necessary.
Fiona: Who designed the covers?
Suzie O’Connell. She does amazing work.
Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Be prepared to work hard and develop a thick skin.
Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Thank you.
Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?
I’ve always been interested in advertising, in writing ad copy.

To buy Loving From Afar click on the link below

On the Casting Couch with Sheila Claydon

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Sheila Claydon is a multi-published author from Great Britain who I’ve come to know through an on-line group. Sheila writes stylish romances which I enjoy reading. Recently she offered to put  me On the Casting Couch. This is a series of interviews Sheila has done with authors where they tell about the characters in their books. This interview is re-printed with Sheila’s permission. Check out her website; it’s full of interesting information, and most importantly, links to her books.
Published December 17, 2012 | By Sheila Claydon
Over the next few months a number of writers have agreed to sit on my Casting Couch to discuss the different methods  they use in their search for the characters who populate their books. Their techniques give a fascinating insight into the writing process and the writers themselves
Today Canadian author Mona Ingram joins us on the Casting Couch to share the tricks of her trade and to tell why she likes the secondary characters in her books as well.
Thank you for agreeing to sit on the Casting Couch Mona. It’s always a treat to talk to a multi-published author and discover how she casts her characters. Assuming you are sitting comfortably, let’s begin.
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Which characters are the hardest for you to develop? Is it the hero, the heroine, the villain, or the secondary characters?
I’d have to say the heroine. I think that’s because I usually identify with the heroine and although on a deep level I understand her motivation, I don’t like to talk about myself.
When an idea strikes, do you work through the plot first and then cast the characters, or is it characters first? Or does it vary? Perhaps you develop the plot and the characters together.
I wish I could say I’m that organized. Usually my stories start with a nugget of an idea and expand from there. I take quite a while to think about each book before I start. There’s a lot of ‘what if?’ going on in my mind while I’m putting the plot together.
Can you give an example from a published story?
Yes. Call me shallow, but I had an idea that I’d love to write a scene where the two main characters in a book make love without speaking. That was the genesis for my book Fallen Angel.
That sounds like a book I’d like to read Mona. It must have taken a lot of careful thought to come up with something like that.
When deciding how your characters should look, do pictures inspire you or do you think of someone you know? Or perhaps you just rely on an active imagination or another method entirely.
If there are multiple main characters, I’ll sometimes cut pictures out of magazines, stick them on a piece of card, and type captions for them. It isn’t so much hair colour or eye colour, but the look on their faces that attracts me. When my granddaughter comes to visit, she’s always dismayed when she finds magazines with holes in them.  I don’t feel it’s necessary to describe everything about each character, however. Not that long ago, authors would describe every detail about a character’s appearance. You don’t see that so much anymore, and I like that. I think readers want to create their own vision of what the character looks like. I never write about people I know; this is fantasy.
I so agree with you. I don’t enjoy books that are too prescriptive either. I would much rather develop my own picture of how the character looks based on just a few simple pointers such as hair colour or height for example. I am always disappointed when I watch a film of a book. The actor never looks like the character I envisaged in my head.
Do you have a system for developing their character traits? I know some people use Tarot or Astrology. Others produce detailed life histories. There are also writers who allow their characters to develop as they write. What’s your method?
I always know the character’s back story, but I usually let them develop as I write. I often have to go back and consider the reasons behind a character’s actions, and then I might have to ask myself why they did such-and-such, but generally I like to let it flow.
All characters have goals. Can your character’s goals usually be summed up in a word or two, or are they multi-layered? Do they change as you write the book? Could you give some examples?
My characters all have goals. I’m a big believer in GMC… Goal, Motivation and Conflict. Take apart almost any story and you’ll find those three elements. But to answer your question, the goals generally cannot be summed up in a few words. What’s that expression everyone is using these days? Multilayered? That’s how I see my main characters.
Motives drive a character. How do you discover your character’s specific goals? Are they based on back story or do other elements influence their motives?
In my mind, goals and motivations are generally tied together. But motivation gives the story that added dimension. I often like to keep the motivation secret, or use it as a twist near the end of the story. As long as it doesn’t drag on too long and annoy the reader, it’s a good plot device.
I like that idea. What a great way to keep the pages turning.
And last but not least, do you like your characters? Are they people you would want to spend time with? Assuming they are not just a paper exercise, which of your characters would you most like to meet, and why?
I can’t write about people I don’t like. Of course there are nasty characters in my books from time to time, but the main characters are always likeable. Some would accuse me of being too Canadian, but that’s just me.
As for the heroes, I always write about a hero I’d like to know. It makes them so much more believable. I confess, they’re almost always larger than life. I’ve tried to write about ‘ordinary’ men, but they usually morph into a high-powered type.
Who would I like to meet? Wow, good question. I have two. The first is Freddie, from Fixing Freddie.  He’s my kind of man. Quiet, unassuming, owns a highly successful business, and is comfortable in his own skin. I guess the other would have to be Agnes, from my book Then Came Love. She’s an older woman who speaks her mind and befriends the heroine as well as the hero. We all need someone like Agnes in our lives. That’s the fun part about secondary characters. We can have them say the things we’d like to say!
It’s been so nice to meet with you Mona. I’ve certainly learned a few extra tricks from talking to you. Watch out for an outspoken secondary character in my next book! Thank you so much for visiting my Casting Couch and talking about the characters in your books.
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Like all the writers who visit my Casting Couch, there is another side to Mona.  When she’s not writing or reading, she likes to bird-watch. Quoting from a character in her book, Promise Me, she says it gets her out (in her case, away from the computer for a few hours), and keeps her aware of the environment. She also loves to travel…anywhere, anytime!
Mona is a multi-published author and you can find out more about her and her books a http://monaingram.com or go  over to her blog at http://monaingram.blogspot.co.uk where she talks about her writing as well as discussing some of the other things on her mind.
 You might also want to visit her Amazon page at  http://amzn.to/W8MWoN  and look at some of the many books she has written

About Mona Ingram

Romance author Mona Ingram has written dozens of novels, including the Forever Series, the Gold Rush Series, and the Women of Independence Series. She lives in British Columbia, Canada.

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Email me at mona@monaingram.com.

All text copyright Mona Ingram.