Every book has started with a strong scene in my head. In many cases, that scene does not make it into the end product, but is what exposes the main characters to me.
Jill Hughey 23 June 2012
The Back Flap
Conversation gets pricklier than a cactus and desert temperatures are bound to rise when American common sense meets British nobility in Arizona Territory.
Susan Mellott doesn’t pay much attention to the outlandish Englishman who joins her family for the last leg of their overland journey. She considers Alexander Dorcester a source of bowing and boot-polishing amusement until he helps scare off a couple of curious Apaches on their last day on the trail. The Brit’s and her paths part in Gateway, and even though she knows he will be visiting his parents just five miles away, her family’s new general store requires so much attention she mostly forgets about the Redcoat. Until he arrives to do some shopping with his oh-so-proper mother. He returns alone the next month, then again the week after, and the week after. Not sure of his intentions, Susan decides to encourage Alex a little. Next thing she knows, he’s bolted for England.
Or has he? Time and distance and secrets cannot end a friendship that is meant to be love.
Sass Meets Class. A sweet romance in which two mismatched people discover they are just what the other needs.
About the book
What is the book about?
I’ve just released Sass Meets Class, a historical romance. At its heart, it is about life choices, specifically choosing between duty or happiness.
The book is set in Arizona Territory in the 1880s. A young woman travels there with her family to start a general store, picking up an English viscount for the last part of the journey. She develops an interest in him pretty quickly, but his heritage maps out his life in England and does not allow for shopkeepers.
When did you start writing the book?
I started it in summer 2001. Yes, really, 2001. I know that because I pitched it at the RWA conference to an Avalon editor hoping she might ask for three chapters. When she requested the full manuscript I was both over the moon and a little nauseous because I hadn’t written a page.
How long did it take you to write it?
About two months. I was working full-time at another job so I literally got up at 4 or 5AM to write. It took Avalon way longer to reject it than it took me to write it. They said I’d written too much about English nobility.
Where did you get the idea from?
Mostly the location. My husband and I had recently visited Arizona. The old photographs of ranchers and miners tell stories all on their own.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
The main characters are physically separated for over a year, as in a thousand miles apart, so contriving to keep them “alive” to each other represented a challenge.
What came easily?
My heroine, Susan. She is a smart cookie who can stand on her own two feet but she recognizes something in Alexander she really wishes could be part of her life.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
Entirely fictitious, except maybe one aspect of Loulou, Susan’s sister. I have a sister who always attracted men easily, so Susan’s recognition of that “gift” and her natural feelings of inferiority come from a real place.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
I know that authors influence me. I have to be very careful about what I read while I am actively writing because I tend to pick up nuances of the other author’s voice. I really love the classics like Kathleen Woodiwiss, Julie Garwood and Catherine Coulter. Madeline Hunter and Eloisa James are my favorites who currently write in the historical romance genre. I’ve also been reading Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Tales and am relieved to find he uses very modern conversational language. He makes me feel better about my style of writing.
Do you have a target reader?
Well, I think Sass Meets Class probably appeals to the classic historical romance reader who, I am told, is most likely a married woman, but the fact that it is not spicy will hopefully attract some teen readers too. My other books are edgier with stronger masculine characters and some violence, so they appeal to men as well as women.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
Every book has started with a strong scene in my head. In many cases, that scene does not make it into the end product, but is what exposes the main characters to me.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just Chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I outline and I am becoming militant with myself about creating a firm timeline with research notes before I take off on the writing adventure. It is just too hard to fix timeline problems after the book is written.
I do not write in chapters. I write the scenes, often out of order. I find that having the big scene where a character has the “aha!” moment already written firms up the goal in my head. Sometimes I have to adjust some details or flesh it out because of themes that work themselves into the earlier scenes. Writing the part that really inspires me at a moment in time gives the scene energy. Of course, you can’t write like that if you don’t have an outline. And adding the chapter breaks later is a torturous act. I want to put them where it makes sense chronologically when I really need to set the hook to keep the reader turning pages.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I edit. I will spend a long time on one word or sentence to get just what I want. On the other hand, I tend to write heavily to dialogue the first draft and then add the supporting sentences later. Getting the conversation down quickly helps make it flow more naturally. At least that is what I tell myself.
Did you hire a professional editor?
Not yet. I am wearing all the hats right now.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
I love music but not when I write. It is too distracting.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
Yes, I’ve submitted to agents and publishers.
What made you decide to go Indie? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
Carolyn Hughey, my husband’s stepmother, is published traditionally but also independently. She told me that many authors like me who had full manuscripts collecting dust were uploading them instead of saving them to be thrown out after their deaths. That was summer of 2011. I put my first book, Unbidden, up in November 2011. Thanks, Carolyn!!
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did it you do it yourself?
I created the cover for Sass Meets Class myself. I had the cover for my first release, Unbidden, prepared by a graphic artist and was really happy with it but right now I think my money needs to be spent on promotion. I write because I love to do it, but I am not independently wealthy so I must also remember to write for money not with money. J
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I pushed to get Sass Meets Class released before July 4th so I could promote it as a good Independence Day read. You know, American girl takes on Redcoat. Plus, when I got the cover finished it just screamed July 4th. So my plan is to use social media and one or two paid promotions to publicize it as much as possible.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Try to resist throwing your work online before it is ready. I did this on my first book for sure, so I am not pointing fingers, but just like with my outlining I am becoming more disciplined. Before posting Sass Meets Class, I read it out loud to myself. It took me a day and a half but I found many problems – both typos and flow – that my eye alone would have missed. School yourself to take as much time as you can stand before turning your baby loose.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I grew up on an apple and peach orchard in Pennsylvania.
Where do you live now?
About two miles from my childhood home with my husband and two sons.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I love love love love to hear from my readers. I am on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jillhugheyromance and on Twitter @jillhughey. I also share a blog at http://medievalnovels.blogspot.com/
I take voice lessons and sing classical soprano. Apparently I am a very creative person but it took me until middle age to embrace it. I work part time as an administrative assistant but I most look forward to the days I have set aside in my week to write.
What are you working on now?
I am working on the third book in my Evolution Series. The title is Vain and it is set in 839 Francia. Oddly enough, much of the conflict again revolves around class differences but I swear I do write other themes.
Thanks so much for having me on Indieviews!
End of Interview:
You can get your copy of Sass Meets Class from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords.