Interview with Rebecca J. Vickery

Thanks so much for joining us today, Rebecca!  We'll begin with your bio.

I’m Rebecca J. Vickery and I write primarily contemporary romance with a twist of the paranormal (special gifts), adventure, mystery, or suspense along the way to a happy ever after ending. This year I also added speculative fiction and suspense short stories to my list of published works and I am enjoying the new challenge. Most recently, with the help of my friend and talented cover artist, Laura Shinn, I founded Victory Tales Press, a small independent press for a select group of authors. Then to fill a different niche, I began helping certain authors and friends discover Indie-Publishing.

I’ve been married to the same extremely patient man since 1975, and we have one son and three wonderful grandchildren, plus a neurotic toy poodle. I’m also the primary caregiver for my mother and a firm believer in the saving grace of God.

To keep up with Rebecca's projects or to check out her work, visit:

http://www.romancewithatwist.com/

[Anne] Tell us about your latest book.

[Rebecca] My latest published story is actually in A Halloween Collection Anthology. Victory Tales Press has published two anthologies for Halloween, one sweet to mildly sensual and the other we called Stimulating as it contains more detailed romance stories. My story, A Haunting Love, is in the second book. It is the story of a young woman who house-sits in a large Victorian during Halloween week. After various problems which led to her meeting a handsome police officer, she discovers the house is haunted. She decides maybe she can deal with that—until All Hallow’s Eve when the ghost takes over.

[Anne] What inspired you to write this story?

[Rebecca] I love all the legends and tales about Halloween. I wanted to take a traditional idea like a haunted house and do something unusual with it. It was a difficult story for me as I tried to rein in my characters too much at first. Upon good advice from several authors, I finally turned Trudy and Simon loose and A Haunting Love is the result.

[Anne] How did you go about researching your book?

[Rebecca] For this particular story I spent a lot of time Googling and jumping from site to site scanning articles and then searching a new or different term I would find. I spent hours reading about hauntings, binding spells, curses, candles, herbs, and how witches go about casting and breaking spells. I found it fascinating and, of course, all that research translates to only a few passages in the actual story, but I hope it makes it feel more authenticate for our readers.

[Anne] Do you have anything new in the works?

[Rebecca] I am currently working on another story for our Christmas Anthologies. Victory Tales Press will have four books available in mid-November spanning the heat levels of sweet, sensual, stimulating, and spicy. I think everyone should be able to find a book of stories they will like. I also have two romance novels in progress, Healing Rain and Finding Treasure. I hope to have those ready for publication soon. Healing Rain is about a touch healer with a special affinity for horses. Finding Treasure features a young woman with the special gift of being able to locate lost objects, even if they were lost decades ago.

[Anne] What is your writing process like? Are you a plotter or a pantster?

[Rebecca] I am a definite pantser. Whenever I try to rein in my MUSE, she goes on vacation. I usually begin with a spark of an idea and my Muse quickly gives me character descriptions and names along with a situation which needs to be dealt with. Then the characters take over and most often it seems I just take notes as they give me their story. This can be most distracting if I’m driving or cooking.

[Anne] If you could be anyone of your characters, which one would you chose to be and why?

[Rebecca] I really think I would want to be Stacey Parker from Surviving With Love. She is a strong, independent woman with a kind, loving heart. She has a great career and a wonderful family. Then she meets a challenging, irritating man who is the dark, brooding, macho type. Yes... I want to be Stacey Parker.

[Anne] Say your publisher has offered to fly you anywhere in the world to do research on an upcoming book, where would you most likely want to go?

[Rebecca] I think I would want to go to Hawaii. Tropical weather, sandy beaches, beautiful oceans and flowers, plus the native culture, would be interesting to explore and research. There are also ranches and mountains to add some variety. I think I could find all kinds of inspiration there. I’ve wanted to see Hawaii ever since Magnum PI was filmed there.

[Anne] You’ve just been informed that your latest release was a NY Times bestseller and Hollywood wants to turn it into a movie. What actors would you choose to play your main characters?

[Rebecca] My latest romance release is Seeking Shelter. I would need a cowboy type for the hero, Brigham, and a young woman who would be good with horses to play Kat. Hmmm... Rachel McAdams would be my pick for Kat and for Brig, maybe Paul Walker. I think I would need a lot of leading men to “audition” for me before I could definitely decide on the male actor to play Brig.

[Anne] What type of books do you like to read when you’re not writing?

[Rebecca] I love psychic mystery romances such as Kay Hooper’s Bishop Special Crime Unit Series. She has signed with a new publisher who is going to allow her to continue the series. I’m really looking forward to them, even though I have no time to read anymore. I also enjoy suspense, some fantasy, and a bit of sci-fi. I truly read almost everything when given a chance.

[Anne] Name three things you can’t live without (excluding spouses and family because that’s a given).

[Rebecca] That one is easy for me. Would have to be chocolate, Dr. Pepper, and my computer.

[Anne] What advice would you give to any aspiring writers out there?

[Rebecca] Keep writing and believe in yourself. Continue to study your craft and try to learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of those around you. Join writers’ groups with a positive attitude. No one needs a downer all the time. Be open to new ideas and technology. Our industry is changing and evolving and we have to change with it. And finally, don’t become so obsessed with getting a contract that you sign one without doing some research and considering all your options.

[Anne] Where can we find you on the web?

[Rebecca] My home website for my romance novels is http://www.romancewithatwist.com/ My blog is http://rebeccajvickery.blogspot.com. The Victory Tales Press website is http://victorytalespress.yolasite.com and my new website for authors who want to Indie-Publish with me is http://www.rebeccajvickery.com/ I’m also on FaceBook and Twitter as rebeccajvickery

[Anne] And where can we purchase your books?

[Rebecca] I make the highest royalties if my books are purchased through Smashwords. https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/rebeccajvickery My books are at most major online retailers and are available in ebook and print.

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Rebecca-J.-Vickery/

Barnes & Noble - http://productsearch.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?ATH=Rebecca+J.+Vickery&STORE=book

[Anne] Is there anything else you’d like to add?

[Rebecca] I want to thank you for spending this time with me. I always enjoy visiting the Suspense by Anne blog. I’m a big fan.

[Anne] Thank you, Rebecca!  I’m a big fan of yours too, my friend.