Welcome, Romance Lovers! Today I am interviewing British Romance author Barbara Elsborg!

     Available now at Jasmine-Jade!

Welcome, Romance Lovers! 

I managed to snag Romance author Barbara Elsborg for a few minute this morning, and she and I have been discussing her brand new release from Ellora's Cave!

Tell us a little about yourself.

I live in West Yorkshire in the north of England with rolling moorland at the front of the house and a garden in desperate need of attention at the rear. I leave all work to my resident house-slave and write full time. Lucky for me the resident house-slave enjoys grocery shopping or we’d starve though he still can’t figure out how to do the laundry, oh! or the cleaning or fill the dishwasher. Mmm, seems I need to whip him into shape.

I’ve done many jobs over the years but selling cyanide was probably my favorite. I was actually good at it. The job I hated the most was serving tea and coffee in a motorway service station. I lasted one shift – nine at night until four in the morning and then I snuck out never to return. The most disastrous job was as an accounts clerk when I mistakenly added a discount to hundreds of bills instead of taking it off. Math is not my strength. Funnily enough, I didn’t last long there either.

Yeah...that is funny...I would say that was marvelous for business!  Sooo...when did you first start writing Romance?

I started writing when I was in my teens – fan fiction but all the plots were romantic. Poor abused young girl, who coincidentally happened to look exactly like me, saved by mouthwatering hero.

My first four novels were thrillers – well they thrilled me –only a few years ago did I try my hand at a romantic comedy. I realized then how much easier it is to write about things you know, set in places you know.

My first thriller was set in New York and involved the mafia, guns and drugs. Lots of experience of that obviously. NOT. My first romance was set in West Yorkshire – Digging Deeper – about an archaeology professor and an accident prone pole dancer and is to be published by Cerridwen Press next January. Oops – not had the pole dancing experience either.

Of all the past great Romance authors, who would you say had the greatest influence on you/your writing style?

Very hard question to answer. I studied English Language and Literature at Birmingham University in the UK, having read voraciously in my teens. After three years dissecting the ‘greats’ I felt unable to write anything worthwhile. I didn’t want to read anything ‘classical’ either. I realized eventually that I had my own voice and my own style and I wasn’t in competition with the likes of Austen etc. As if!! But shaking off the thought that I wasn’t good enough enabled me to just write for the love of it and eventually – after many years - success followed.

How do you find ideas for your books? Real happenings? Dreams? A great imagination?

A combination of all of those. I frequently dream my stories in that twilight zone before waking. If I have ideas in the night, I write them down in the dark and spend hours the next day trying to decipher my scribble. Listening to music as I run or rollerblade sets off ideas too. Some of the funny scenes are based on fact. It helps that I’m a walking disaster. My experience in a spray tanning booth that broke down half way through the cycle – resulting in a half-naked, coffee stained female, wrapped in disintegrating paper having to brave a communal corridor to get to the showers – yep, that was me. It’s in Digging Deeper.

You say that's coming in January?  I'll put that one on my calendar!  Moving on, how difficult is it for you to get into “writer’s mode”?

Easy. I sit down and type. More difficult to get into the mood to write the sex scenes. That requires more – er – effort. The main distraction is when my son’s dog comes over to visit. I can’t resist those – come and play with me – eyes. Husband is still practicing getting his look right. If he brings coffee it sometimes works.

You have a new book out. We’d love to hear about it.

‘Power of Love’ came out on the 20th May with Ellora’s Cave. It’s the story of Detective Joe Dalziel who’s killed in the line of duty, the result of a blunder by his police constable girlfriend, Poppy. Six months have passed since Joe died but Poppy can’t say goodbye. Tormented by guilt over his death, he’s still part of her life. Everywhere she looks, he’s there—talking to her, touching her, sharing ice cream and showers. Not really there, only if you want something enough, can love make it happen? Joe wakes up to find he has gray wings and a mission. He thinks he has to save Poppy from herself and persuade her to let him go. Only it’s not that simple. Is it ever!!

I had a lot of fun writing this. Wings cause all sorts of problems. I discovered that for myself at the Romantic Times faery ball. Did I apologize to everyone?

 You mean for that poked-out eyeball and the feathers up that cover-model's nose?  I think so.  Do you identify with the characters you write about?

Absolutely. I AM the heroine of all my stories. I love all the heroes. A reader once asked me why all my heroines had to be tall and slim. Well, I’m tall and slim. I just can’t write from the experience of a shorter woman. But although I’m blonde, I don’t mind what hair color my heroines have, though their hair tends to be short because mine is short. Most of my heroes are dark haired because I prefer dark-haired men. Oops – sorry dear, gray is fine too. Did I cover myself there?  (I think so...)

I can’t write about love between two women. I did try and managed the kiss but that was it. I have no problem writing love scenes between two men or two men and a woman. I’ve written two ménages and the current work in progress is a ménage too.

While I’m writing a particular book, I live, dream, sleep and eat with the characters. The only way I can let them go is to start another story. My favorite character is Charlie in ‘Strangers’, due out with Cerridwen Press in the autumn. Charlie is a rock star turned film star on a downward spiral and I think the story is the best thing I’ve ever written.

 Congratulations on your success as an author. How many books do you have in print now?

I have four e-books available with Ellora’s Cave, one of which – ‘Perfect Timing’ is also available in print. I was thrilled to sign copies and sell them all at the RT conference in Orlando last month.

I have another five e-books scheduled for release over the next few months – both erotic romance and mainstream romance. I also have three e-books out with Loose-ID. These are paranormal erotic romances featuring vampires and werewolves. I’m currently working on the fourth in the Trueblood series for them.

 What do you love about your editor (or publisher)?

I will always be incredibly grateful to Ellora’s Cave for being the one to say yes when all I’d heard for years was no. Their acceptance came into my spam. Yeek! I screamed and then I cried. To have a publisher who likes what I write and an editor who did me the great honor of buying the other books I’d written is a thrill beyond words. Both Ellora’s Cave and Loose-ID are very supportive of their authors and I’m thrilled to write for them both. I have to put in a special word about the fantastic covers for the paranormal stories by Croco designs. Every time I see them, I gulp in delight.

What does your writing schedule look like? What's your best time of day to write? Are you a morning writer or a night owl?

I write best in the morning but I can keep writing until I drop or until husband starts slamming doors. I’m aware that it’s a selfish profession. My long-suffering husband has a lot to put up with. He’s just started to read my first print book. I’m rather nervous about what he’ll have to say. Should be weeks though. He reads at the speed of a snail and I can consume three books a day. I find it harder to write when it’s hot because I’d rather be outside reading. Sunshine and days warm enough to sit in the garden aren’t that common where I live.

 What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

A bit clichéd, but don’t give up and keep reading. I hear so many people say – I write but don’t read. What???
I joined Critique Circle – www.critiquecircle.com and posted chapters for others to critique and at the same time critiqued the work of others. I put several novels through week by week and I learned as much from what others said about my stories as I did from seeing what others wrote. It was critiquing a great erotic story by Amanda Young a couple of years ago that made me wonder if I could write erotic romance. The first story I tried in that genre was accepted by Ellora’s Cave.

 What is your next project?

I’m about two thirds through a vampire- werewolf- faerie story for Loose-ID and then I have a contemporary one set in Greece to get going on for Ellora’s Cave. I’ve written the first two chapters of that. I’d quite like to try and write for one of the anthologies too. I’d really like to get more in print. My friends in the UK aren’t receptive to e-books plus there is nothing to compare to the thrill of holding a book with your name on it. Oh, except maybe someone asking you to sign it for them. To know that readers are enjoying what I write is an everlasting delight and I’m grateful to everyone who’s bought one of my books.

 Today, writers need not only write great books, but be great promoters of their books, too. What kinds of things do you do?

I think it’s vital to be able to promote your work – if only it was easy and you could just press a button. I went to the Romantic Times convention and tried to get my name out there. Time will tell if people will think kindly of the pushy blonde who struck up conversations with anything that stood still including a potted palm (just for practice) and pushed leaflets into any open hand. I think my husband who handed out English candy was better received.

I blog with fellow authors on www.takeittothestars.com and on www.trampyvamps.com . I have my own blog www.barbaraelsborg.blogspot.com – though I’ve been using that as an information site as I’ve only just got my own website www.barbaraelsborg.com. I’m in various Yahoo groups and I’m happy to do interviews just like this.

But the best advice I had was to keep writing good books and readers will come. Ooh, is that like the Kevin Costner film with the baseball pitch?

 What else would you like to tell us?

It doesn’t surprise me when I hear that romance novels are still strong sellers despite the problems with the economy, the general tightening of belts etc. Everything I write has a Happy Ever After. Real life might not be like that for most people but in books we can escape to another world for a while. The erotic stories I write are first and foremost love stories with a plot and strong characters. They’d stand without the sex - that’s very important to me. If I can take readers out of their lives for a few hours and bring them joy, maybe make them laugh and sometimes cry, I’ll feel all those years of writing have been worthwhile.

Thanks so much for taking the time to be with me here this morning, Barbara! I already own two of your books, and will be checking out the newest one!