Interview With Author Judy Angelo
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve had a love affair with romance novels since I hit the teenage years (13) when I would binge read Mills & Boon romances till the wee hours of morn. Eventually, my love for reading books in this genre morphed into my becoming a writer of these beloved stories.
So far, I’ve written almost 100 books in various languages (I studied foreign languages in college) and using various pen names (depending on genre and target audience). Having lived and worked in various countries including France, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the USA and Canada, I like to feature diverse cultures and settings in my stories.
I presently live in the cold climes of Canada which, with snow on the ground so many months of the year, is perfect for me: less pollen, more allergy-free days.
judyangelo.blogspot.com
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Although I’ve published a few nonfiction books in the last few months, if memory serves me correctly, my last Judy Angelo romance was Romancing Malone (I think). My title was inspired by a movie I enjoyed so long ago, ‘Romancing the Stone’. It’s a story about a busybody grandmother. Grandmothers are fun sometimes, aren’t they? : )
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I used to write all my stories ‘long hand’ with pen and paper and then I would record my story and send the audio to a friend who would type for me Now, who has the time? Now, I never write. I just think my story, speak it into an app on my cell phone (with punctuations and paragraphing and everything), send the audio and the transcript to my friend, and he edits/ cleans up the typos for me. He then sends the manuscript to me for final editing.
Speeds things up tremendously!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
‘The Wolf and the Dove’ – Kathleen Woodiwiss – historical romance
‘Angela’s Ashes’ – Frank McCourt – memoir
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a series featuring four billionaire brothers and their adventures as they run into formidable female adversaries.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Bookbub – but super competitive expensive with no guarantee of success.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read voraciously in your target genre. In addition to what you can learn from books on the craft of writing, you can pick up a lot from the works of successful authors in the genre (voice, techniques used to capture and hold the attention of the reader, use of language, etc.).
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Show, don’t tell (e.g. Instead of saying ‘he was angry’ show him frowning, slamming his palm down on the table, getting up, knocking his chair over, and storming out of the room).
What are you reading now?
‘How to Write a Romance Novel’ by Judy Angelo.
Yes, I know. I wrote it. You would be surprised, but sometimes, after I switch to nonfiction for some months, I have to go back and remind myself how to get back into the romance-writing mode.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Although I have 9 professionally published titles, for the most part, I have been going it on my own as a self published writer. Now that I’m a bit older (and not quite as healthy), I find that the work of self publishing is more than I can manage. Because of this, my next move will be to seek the help of a literary agent who can help me find a publisher or publishers who can do the ‘leg work’ of selling.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. A book about how to survive on a desert island and eventually escape.
2. A really thick blank book with lots of pages in which I could write my thoughts, my activities, stories that come to mind, my memoir, etc. (must come with a pen that can never run out of ink).
3. A book on how to communicate in multiple languages and also in a sign language which could be understood by anyone, regardless of native language.
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