Ask the Author: Patricia Grasso
Answered Questions (17)
Patricia Grasso
Well, that is definitely a hard one. I wouldn't go to a "fictional" world (like Game of Thrones) because I'm not actually interested in "fantasy" in its purest sense. My favorite historical time is Elizabethan England and Scotland, especially Scotland. Of course, I'd want to be one of the wealthy people so I could have an easier life than most of those people. The only drawback I can see is they didn't have antibiotics so a lot of us wouldn't live to a ripe old age.
Patricia Grasso
The short answer is I don't know. The long answer is Alex and Raven will be the major secondary characters in every book until their story. At the end of Marrying The Marquis, Alex and raven broke up, (sort of) so I need to get them back together in my next book which I am writing now. I've been thinking about their story, though. I envisioned Alex and Raven going on a case together, and she needed to pretend to have a physical defect. The Constable and Alex decide that Raven should be a mute. I keep wondering how I could do the dialogue, which might suffer. It could be funny, though. Keep asking and I'll keep you posted.
Patricia Grasso
Desert Eden, Love In a Mist, and My Heart's Desire are in digital now. Emerald Enchantment will be later this year. Highland Belle and Courting An Angel are still to come. I wrote a short story, Pagan Bride, which taught me that I am a terrible short story writer. I need 100,000 words, not 10,000. I may turn that into a book. My favorite time is Elizabethan England and Scotland. I would have stayed there but my editor at the time made me go forward 300 years. Thanks for asking
Patricia Grasso
Someone asked me to write a two sentence horror story. I need 400 manuscript pages for that.
Patricia Grasso
Your question made me smile. Author's have no control whether a book is made into a movie or not. None. Perhaps if it made the New York times bestseller list, there would be chance. Thank you for the compliment, though.
I'm now writing the next book in the series, the hero Prince Lykos Kazanov and the heroine Mairi MacArthur. The manuscript should be finished sometime in October and will probably be released during the first part of next year.
I'm now writing the next book in the series, the hero Prince Lykos Kazanov and the heroine Mairi MacArthur. The manuscript should be finished sometime in October and will probably be released during the first part of next year.
Patricia Grasso
I don't actually make a summer reading list. I've recently read a lot of Susan Mallery, especially the Fool's Gold series. Now I'm getting into medieval. Susan Kay Penman's Welsh Prince Trilogy. The last book I've recently read, Anya Seton's KATHERINE, an older book about Katherine Sywnford, the Duchess of Lancaster, was excellent. It's a historical novel but not a romance, though it does have a very poignant, happy ending. It made me weep.
Patricia Grasso
Oh, my. I'm smiling at the question because there's no mystery in my life. The only mystery or excitement I enjoy is in my books. Writers tend to spend a lot of time alone writing. I need to see myself in the heroine. Either she does what I would do in a certain situation or what I would wish to do. As a matter of fact, all my heroines are petite because I'm 5 feet tall and can't imagine looking down on people rather than looking up. I'm sorry I can't give you a better answer.
Patricia Grasso
Wow! This is one of the most difficult questions. If you're talking about my books, I love all of my couples at the time I'm writing them. I know you're not going to be satisfied with that so I'll name a few that stick out in my mind: Khalid and Heather, Keely and Richard, Blythe and Roger, Gordon and Rob, Prince Drako and Katerina..... Oh, who am I kidding? I love them all and feel like I'm cheating on them if I don't list them.
I will say that there is one book I have mixed feelings about. Not that I don't like the story or main characters.... But, my mother died while I was writing NO DECENT GENTLEMAN. Every time I think of it, I can still feel the sorrow of losing my mother. Still miss her.
If you're asking about a fictional couple that I didn't write... that's easy. There are two. Rhett Butler and Scarlet O'Hara. It was the first "romance" I ever read. I hid it behind my American history book in my high school history class. I never got caught either. The other is Bertrice Small's SKYE O'MALLEY. I read that and wanted to write my own book.
I will say that there is one book I have mixed feelings about. Not that I don't like the story or main characters.... But, my mother died while I was writing NO DECENT GENTLEMAN. Every time I think of it, I can still feel the sorrow of losing my mother. Still miss her.
If you're asking about a fictional couple that I didn't write... that's easy. There are two. Rhett Butler and Scarlet O'Hara. It was the first "romance" I ever read. I hid it behind my American history book in my high school history class. I never got caught either. The other is Bertrice Small's SKYE O'MALLEY. I read that and wanted to write my own book.
Patricia Grasso
Hi Jo-- Thanks for liking my books. I'm just finishing up the neverending mystery, which I think readers will like because of the hero and heroine. It's the first book in a series. As soon as I complete it (end of June) I will be starting the next Kazanov book. The hero is Prince Lykos and the heroine is Mairi MacArthur, the sister of my last book's hero. Alex and Raven will be appearing. I finally thought of a way to get them back together since they argued at the end of Marrying The Marquis. After that, I think I'll be doing Bliss Flambeau who is causing trouble in a business sense for Douglas Gordon, the Marquis of Huntly. Some things I know in advance while plotting and other things happen along the way. I once had another writer ask where I got Tulip (from Tempting The Prince). I couldn't give her an answer because I never planned on her until I was actually writing the scene where she appears. Thanks for your question.
Patricia Grasso
Thanks for liking THE PAGAN BRIDE. It was short because I was only allowed 12,000 words. I might turn it into a full length novel at some point. Many of my books have a touch of magic, though they aren't paranormal. Try LOVE IN A MIST and (soon to be released) MY HEART'S DESIRE. Thanks again for reading my work.
Patricia Grasso
Aspiring writers need three things: a b it of talent, a bit of luck, and a ton of persistence. Never give up. When the aspiring writer gets down, she needs to remember that writing is learned in layers. When one layer is automatic, then she learns the next layer. You don't pick up a tennis racquet and step onto center court at Wimbledon. Aspiring writers have it a bit easier than when I first got published. Once upon a time, there were 6 big NY publishers. No others. Now there are small publisher, ebook pubs,and indie publishing. Writers need to be life-long learners. I'm still learning new things about storytelling
Patricia Grasso
That is a tough one. I'd say the number one thing is "meeting" readers and other writers. (Though once a person is a writer, she can never read a book or watch a movie the same way.) If you don't enjoy being alone, writing is not for you. Creating is great. When a writer first starts, she feels like a goddess because she can have her characters do and say anything. Later, the writer learns that once a character is set, the character needs to stay in character.
Patricia Grasso
That is a tough one. I don't think I've ever suffered from real writer's block. I have gone through periods when I haven't been able to get myself to the desk. I'd call that laziness because I know what I'm supposed to be writing.
Patricia Grasso
I just figured it out. LOL
Patricia Grasso
I'm working on my present-day mystery in Salem Massachusetts. Almost finished. My next novel will be a historical. The main characters are Mairi MacArthur and Prince Lykos Kazanov.
Patricia Grasso
To tell you the truth, I don't know how I get inspired. I start my books with the characters and weave a story around them. I walk around with a notebook in my bag so if I have an idea, I jot it down. I've been known to pull off the road and do it so I won't lose the idea.
Patricia Grasso
At the moment I am finishing a contemporary mystery. I have mysteries in my historical romances and learned that I like mystery so trying my hand at that before going back to my next historical.
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