Here’s a big welcome to Judy Duarte!
Look for her current release HIS, HERS AND…THEIRS? in stores now. In terms of POV, you have some of the best characterization out there. Could you tell us how you write your POV or elaborate in some way about POV. I’ve always enjoyed getting into a character’s head. When I first started writing, I had way too many viewpoint characters and had to limit them. But when I began writing women’s fiction, I had a lot more leeway with that sort of thing. So it’s been a lot of fun letting my muse run free. As for how I do it… This may sound weird to anyone who doesn’t write fiction, but there’s a place in my mind where the characters live. And while writing a particular character’s scene, I go to that place and let the character take over the keyboard. I become that child, battered wife or the man facing certain death. And I let them speak through me. As I’m typing out the scene, and the introspection and dialogue begins to flow, I can be just as surprised as the reader to learn about a character’s backstory. That’s probably the most rewarding part of writing to me—being in the zone and letting the character take off with the story. What inspired you to write your first book? I’ve always enjoyed reading. And the more I read, the more I yearned to write a book of my own. But English was my least favorite subject in school, and I’d never considered myself a writer. As the dream grew stronger, the doubts stilled. I finally had to see if I could actually create a story from beginning to end. Of course, that first manuscript will never see the light of day, but it helped me to realize that I could actually write a book. And Romance Writers of American taught me the skills I would need to turn a dream into a career. How many books have you written? I’ve written close to forty books, if you count the four that are under the bed. I do have hopes for three of those and plan to revise and submit those sometime next year. One was a Golden Heart finalist, so I know some of them have potential. But those are historicals, and I’ve been so busy writing Special Editions and contemporary women’s fiction that I haven’t given them the focus that they need. Do you write to make money or for the love of writing? I’ve been fortunate and have been able to write for both reasons. At first, I wrote for the love of writing and for the dream. Once I was able to quit the day job and write full time, it became a career. And that means I have to work hard to get those books written and those contracts fulfilled. If the money stopped coming, I’d continue to write—but I wouldn’t push so hard. When was the first moment you felt comfortable saying, “I am a writer?” I’ve been a writer from the first time I sat at the computer keyboard and began writing Legacy of the Heart, the manuscript that is collecting dust bunnies as we speak. But I couldn’t bring myself to call myself a writer (or an author) until I signed that very first contract. And even then, I had a hard time believing it! When do you write (daytime, nighttime, on your lunch hour, before the kids get up, after everyone is asleep? In large chunks of time or stolen snippets?) I work best in the morning, when the house is quiet. And that usually means about 5:00 a.m. I take the printed pages of the work I did the day before and sit down with a cup of coffee and a red pen. I add, delete, edit, and tweak those pages, then go to the computer and input my changes. At that point, it’s pretty easy to continue where I left off the day before. And that’s usually in the middle of a scene. By the way, I learned that trick from Chris Marie/Crystal Green, one of my critique partners. When she ends her writing day, she doesn’t stop at the end of the scene. She pushes into the next. That way, she isn’t staring at a blank page when she starts her writing day. And I found it works well for me, too. I work in the mornings, then take a break to put in a load of clothes or wash the dishes or check email. If I’m under deadline, I’ll push on and try to write more in the late morning. But by afternoon, I’m usually wearing down and will call it a day. Still, I write or edit or tweak something every single day. It’s very rare that I take a complete day off. And even then, I’ve got scenes or plot twists simmering in my mind. Are you someone who can write on demand? Or do you have to stew and coax an idea before you sit down and write? Or maybe you write when the muse knocks you upside your head, like me? I do both. If I’m under contract to finish a book by a certain date, I don’t have the luxury of waiting until the muse strikes. Over the years, I suppose I’ve trained myself to work at the same time each day. Since I write for two different publishers and usually have 3 books out per year, it’s a job and I treat it as such. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t love the process when the muse knocks me upside the head! Where do you write? I edit in the morning at the kitchen table, then head to my office and work there. I’ve had to share office space in the past with my husband, but my office is my own now. And I love having that airy, spacious room to myself. I’ve also surrounded myself with things that mean a lot to me: a picture of my critique partners, a National Readers Choice Award, my Rita finalist flag, Member of the Year plaques from my local RWA chapter (San Diego), two novels by Gwen Bristow that I read (and loved) in high school, an antique table that once belonged to my great-great grandmother, a comfy thinking chair… Do you put pieces of yourself or your life in your stories? Always. It slips out in the voice sometimes, and at other times it’s deliberate. My daughter says that it’s really weird to read a book and hear her mother talking. What is your least favorite thing to do as an author? Allow me to clarify: query, write a synopsis, write a blurb, market, you get the pictureJ I do get the picture. J I hate writing the last chapter. In my mind, the story is over, the characters have arced, the bad guy has got his comeuppance. And my muse is already chomping at the bit to start the next story. I usually have to force myself to sit at the keyboard and wrap things up. But, fortunately, once it begins to flow, I can finish that chapter quickly. At first, I used to hate writing the synopsis. But that’s actually my favorite thing to do now. I’ve developed a synopsis style that works really well for me. How long did you write seriously before your first book was published? I began writing seriously in early 1996 and sold my first Special Edition in May of 2001. About that time, I finaled with two different manuscripts in the Golden Heart finalist, won an Emily, and signed with my agent. It was a very good year. J And it more than made up for the prior years, which were filled with rejections and disappointments. Do you have an upcoming release? Yes, I do. HIS, HERS AND…THEIRS? Silhouette Special Edition, August 2010 UNDER THE MISTLETOE WITH JOHN DOE Silhouette Special Edition, November 2010 DR. FORTUNE & THE MYSTERY WOMAN Silhouette Special Edition, February 2011 Still available: THE HOUSE ON SUGAR PLUM LANE, Kensington, April 2010 ENTERTAINING ANGELS, Kensington, May 2009 2010 Rita ® finalist, Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist, and Maggie finalist MULBERRY PARK, Kensington, April 2010 mass market reissue 2009 Rita ® finalist, Maggie winner, Golden Quill finalist Are any of your characters modeled after people you know? Ellie Rucker, an elderly woman with dementia, was modeled after my grandmother, who was also plagued with that same devastating condition. I tried to show that Ellie was once a vibrant, loving person, just as my Nana used to be. And I think I succeeded. What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given as a writer? God doesn’t put a dream on your heart without giving you the power to make it come true. ~*~ Author Bio Judy Duarte always knew there was a book inside her, but since English was her least favorite subject in school, she never considered herself a writer. An avid reader who enjoys a happy ending, Judy couldn’t shake the dream of creating a book of her own. That dream became a reality in 2002, when Silhouette released her first Special Edition. Since then, more than thirty of her books have hit the shelves, including three women’s fiction novels and two novellas.   
Her stories have touched the hearts of readers around the world, landing her a prestigious Reader’s Choice Award. In 2009, she won the Maggie and finaled in the Inspirational category of the Rita® with MULBERRY PARK. And she’s thrilled to announce that ENTERTAINING ANGELS, another inspirational novel, is a finalist in the 2010 Rita®, the Inspirational Readers Choice Award and the Maggie. When she’s not cooped up in her writing cave, she’s spending time with her somewhat enormous, but delightfully close family near the beach in Southern California. You can contact Judy through her web site at: www.JudyDuarte.com or email her at
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