Spotlight On Kate Angell, Marina Adair, and Stacy Finz

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Spotlight On Kate Angell, Marina Adair, and Stacy Finz

 

USA Today bestselling author Kate Angell writes contemporary romance. Appreciative of warmer weather, she lives in Beautiful Naples, Florida on the Gulf of Mexico. She's an avid reader, animal lover (6 dogs and 4 cats), and sports fan. She enjoys lattes at Starbucks and browsing Barnes and Noble. She's best known for her Richmond Rogues/Barefoot William baseball, beach, and boardwalk series. 

Stacy Finz is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. After more than twenty years covering notorious serial killers, naked-tractor-driving farmers, fanatical foodies, aging rock stars and weird Western towns as a newspaper reporter, she figured she finally had enough material to launch a career writing fiction. She is the author of the Nugget Romance series, the Garner Brothers Series and the Dry Creek Ranch series and is currently working on a women’s fiction novel. She lives in Northern California with her husband.

Marina Adair is a national bestselling author whose contemporary romances have sold over a million copies. In addition to the When in Rome series, she is also the author of the Destiny Bay series, the Heroes of St. Helena Series, and the St. Helena Vineyard series which was the inspiration behind the original Hallmark Channel Vineyard movies. She currently lives with her husband, daughter, and two neurotic cats in Northern California.

 

How many different genres do you write?

 

SF: I write contemporary romance, usually with a small-town and cowboy component and women’s fiction.

 

Tell us about the type of characters you love to write about:  

 

SF: I love writing flawed characters who are trying to find themselves either after they’ve hit rock bottom or have suffered a personal catastrophe. I guess you would could it a second-chance story. I also love to explore the idea of family, which in my books aren’t always related by DNA.

 

Do you have a new book or series?

 

SF: Holding On, part of my Nugget Series, was just released in May. It’s about a woman who has lost her husband to divorce, her child in a bitter custody battle, and her beloved career. But most of all she’s lost herself. Her journey to redemption takes many twists and turns and in the end she not only finds her best self but love again.   

 

Favorite quote? 

 

KA: It's not about having time to do something, it's about making time to do it. (So if you want to be an author, schedule time to write.)

 

What do you do when you just don’t feel like writing?

 

 

KA: I love to read, many different genres. I seldom read romance novels, if I'm presently writing a romance. I enjoy mystery cozies, suspense, historical, and paranormal. When I'm not writing, I often spend time outdoors - yard work, toes in the sand at the beach, walking my dogs, browsing Barnes and Noble - all activities clear my head. I've also been known to color. I have a large selection of crayons and coloring books. No pressure, just fun. Large jigsaw puzzles keep me mentally active too.   

 

Many indie authors don’t get their books edited by professionals. What advice would you give them? 

 

KA: All authors want to present the best book possible to their readers. In traditional publishing, authors have the advantage of an editor, copy editor, proofreaders, to help minimize typos and errors. Although mistakes still can happen, despite everyone's best efforts. The eyes may see the mistake, but the brain reads it differently.

From an Indie perspective, I always suggest that those wishing to self-publish find a freelance professional to go over their story with a fine-tooth comb - if they can afford it. If such a cost is not in their budget, then they should attempt to locate someone good in grammar with the understanding of a solid plot and believable characterization. Someone who will be honest in his/her evaluation.

Readers, paying for Indie books, deserve the cleanest pages possible. No hiccups when reading, should there be a significant typo or an odd change in tense. An author should read the novella or full-length story several times. Oftentimes aloud. It helps to spot errors. You can see if the words flow smoothly. And the characters appear sympathetic and believable. 

 

What do you do to go beyond your comfort zone when it comes to writing and life?

 

MA: In my book, Promise Me You, I wanted to challenge myself with exploring other senses other than sight, so I decided to write a blind heroine. Part of my research was to put an eye mask over my eyes and spend an entire day without the ability to see. The experience not only helped me connect on a deeper level with my heroine, it also helped my craft in the books that followed. 

 

Will you be attending any book signings or conventions? 

 

MA: After a year housebound I am excited to get back out there and connect with readers and other authors. I just signed up for the Barbara Vey Cruise in February of 2023. It’s a 7 day cruise filled with hundreds of readers and some really amazing authors. Barbara Vey events are my favorite events to attend because of the intimate setting she creates between readers and authors.

 

Pass on some words of wisdom, please, to aspiring authors.

 

MA: My mentor, Barnaby Dallas, told me the only difference between a writer and an author is that authors sit their butts in their chair every day and write. So my advice is to keep writing and eventually you will find your unique path to publication. 

 

Kate Angel

Kateangell.com

Facebook.com/authorkateangell

 

Stacy Finz

StacyFinz.com

Facebook.com/StacyFinzAuthor

Twitter.com/SFinz

 

 Marina Adair

MarinaAdair.com

Twitter.com/MarinaAdair

Facebook.com/MarinaAdair

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