Charlene has graciously agreed to allow me the privilege of an interview.
CB: Good Morning, Charlene. Thank you for your time. Tell us about your earlier work, and what piqued
your interest in writing.
CR: My first book was a time travel romance, although I had no idea what
the word ‘genre’ meant then, let alone what genre I was writing. Unlike so many
authors, I never intended or even thought about being a writer, but I loved to
read. One morning I woke from a vivid dream that drove me to drag out a
typewriter and start writing it down. Nine years’ worth of studying writing
resulted in Time Weaver. The first
chapter won me a scholarship to the Park City Writer’s Conference.
Unfortunately, no one was buying time travels then. An editor told me it was
too unusual to sell as a first book, that I should write a regular romance,
sell it and a few more, then maybe I could sell Time Weaver. So I wrote a
romance I called Brianna. That book
won first place in a contest, then became a Golden Heart Finalist in 1991. I
signed with an agent and less than two years later received a three-book
contract with Zebra Books, an imprint of Kensington Books. I had become a
writer.
CB: I'm amazed to find you wrote about time travel
long before the genre became a popular sell. You're an author ahead of your
time. Any particular reason you chose that genre or are you one of those gifted
writers who have your finger on the pulse of your readers?
CR:I don’t know why I chose a time travel except that the dream that
inspired me was set in the past, but everyone always says “write what you
know.” Well, I didn’t know anything about the past then, only that I love tales
of the Wild West. So I started with a contemporary and turned it into a
historical. It wasn’t until after all those years of work that I decided I may
as well try to get it published.
CB: Certainly your novels sell well. I'm sure your time travel will be a huge success! You have three books now available at Tirgearr Publishing. Can you tell us about those?
CR: The first of my books Tirgearr published for me was Forever Mine. I chose to do it first
because had been my most successful paperback, even winning a Romantic Times
Reviewer’s Choice Award Nomination. My second book, Tender Touch, was my second book I called Brianna when it became a Golden Heart Finalist. My third book, To Have and To Hold, is the one I think
is probably my favorite. I love the characters and the setting, and I feel it’s
the best written of my books.
CB: Wow! Romantic Times Reviewers Choice and Golden Heart. Quite amazing accomplishments. Where can readers purchase books now available?
CR: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Tirgearr Publishing and other
e-book stores.
CB: You've enjoyed quite a bit of success with your
books. Do you have a formula? Do you prefer your novels more story or character
driven?
CR: I prefer character driven books, but I am a very visual writer so my
settings generally play a big part in my stories. Some began with a character,
some with a situation. My first book published by Zebra Books was Taming Jenna, which came from a lunch
session with my critique group. I was trying to come up with a new story and
asked one of the members I knew had a great imagination to give me an idea. She
said, “Write about a woman who has to find a man she can only identify by a
scar on his bottom.” And Taming Jenna
was born. It’s a fun story.
CB: I much prefer reading character driven novels. A good story can only carry a novel so far. Characters rich in strength appeal to me most. I
read that John Jakes characters are modeled physically after someone he happens
to see on TV or a movie. Mine are simply conjured up in my imagination. Where
do you get your ideas for your characters?
CR: They just come to me, really. I guess I could say that at least a
couple of my books are character driven in that before I even started the book,
while the plot was just incubating in my mind, the characters were jabbering in
my head telling me about themselves and what to write. There were times when they
refused to do what I wanted them to do in the book, and other times they seemed
to act upon themselves and do things I never planned. I enjoyed those
interactions. Physically, I have used various aspects of a person’s character
or appearance. I took one friend’s gorgeous eyes for one of my heroines, and
another friend’s lush lips for yet a different heroine. Oddly, I find it easier
to create my heroes than I do my heroines. At times I wonder if maybe I had
been a man in previous lives, as I seem more able to get into their heads.
CB: You're involved in all aspects of writing, often helping
other authors at the drop of a hat. What is your time/management formula?
CR: I have no managerial
talents whatsoever, or any self-discipline, one of my biggest regrets in life
that I’ve always struggled with. Usually, I’m attempting to do several things
at the same time. In fact, my husband likes to say I’m incapable of doing only
one thing at a time. It drives him nuts that I can read a book, play games on
my Kindle or needlepoint and watch TV at the same time. I do what I’m driven to
do at the moment. Not my best quality.
CB: What works in progress are you currently absorbed in?
CR: LOL. I’m supposed to
be reworking Time Weaver, but
something is always interfering. I just turned in my next book to be
e-published, The Scent of Roses. It’s
a sort of sequel to my latest release, To
Have And To Hold. And I’m waiting to get news back about the possible
publication of a totally new book I finished last year, Divine Gamble.
CB: We'll be anxiously awaiting news on The Scent of Roses. Tell us what
motivates you?
CR: A never-ending urge
to create. I’ve been creative and artistically inclined all my life. My major
in college was Fine Arts.
CB: My daughter was a fine arts major, as well. There is a definite pattern of seeking out the most creative outlets through an artist's life. Any other artist endeavors outside of writing and graphic
arts?
CR: I love to design
digital scrapbooks, needlepoint and crochet, and if I had a place to do it, I’d
dye more Ukrainian eggs. That’s a wax-resist tie-dye sort of process that
requires lots of room for several bottles of dye.
CB: I often refer to people in our generation as the pioneers of
the internet. Our everyday lives have changed greatly from those of our
parents. The information super highway often resembles a roller coaster, where
we hang on for dear life with every twist and turn. Books, like music and other
forms of entertainment, have taken a turn with the advent of technology. How
easy or difficult has it been for you personally to adjust?
CR: I’d say fairly easy,
though there were lots of moments when I struggled and nearly gave up. I still
haven’t learned how to use all the features on my cell phone, and it isn’t one
of the fancy ones; it’s only a track phone. My granddaughter has refused to try
anymore to teach me to text.
CB: Oh, my first response to texting, was to cringe. Thankfully, I've adjusted, or I might never have contact with my children!
Do you find it more or less advantageous to connect with your fans on social media sites?
Do you find it more or less advantageous to connect with your fans on social media sites?
CR: I think social media
is great. There are so many more opportunities now than in the old days when
you had to do book signings, attend lots of conferences, do tons of mailings of
flyers and brochures to build a fan base. Now you can do it from your desk chair.
Thanks so much for your time this morning, Charlene. I'm sure you've piqued the curiosity of our readers. We'll leave links where your books can be purchased!
Charlene Raddon took up writing over thirty years ago when she awoke
from a dream she knew had to be put in a book. She’s been writing ever since.
Five of her historical romance novels were published in paperback by Zebra
Books. Most of them have won awards, received high ratings and been published
internationally. Three have now been released as e-books, with more to come in
the near future.
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