Brenda Gayle on Soldier For Love

Emma: Today, I am featuring an interview with Brenda Gayle, author of SOLDIER FOR LOVE, available from The Wild Rose Press.

Blurb:

She’s his commanding officer. So why does he seem to be in charge?

Major Julie Collins should be on top of the world. Her long-sought promotion has finally come through and she has just been given her first overseas command. But when one of her troops turns out to be the handsome Native American who has just left her bed, everything starts to unravel.

Lieutenant Matt Wolf’s exploits with the opposite sex are legend—if only they were true. His larger-than-life persona masks deep loneliness and isolation. He has every intention of obeying Julie’s order to stay away, but what’s he to do when she follows him and then gets herself kidnapped by a deranged voodoo priest?

Suddenly, all orders are belayed as Matt mounts a one-man rescue, risking both of their careers, and the only home he has ever known.

Welcome, Brenda!

Quick questions for you as a reader:

1) Where do you like to settle in for a good read? Given my choice, I pick the couch in our living room; it’s seen better days but is still very comfortable. It is situated right in front of a big window and the natural light coming in is good for reading. However, the bulk of my reading these days is waiting for the kids at music lessons, basketball, soccer, waterpolo, art classes, or whatever activity it is that they’re doing.

2) What is your favorite genre? That’s tough. I love historicals of any sort if they are well researched and accurately reflect the time period in which they’re set. But there’s nothing better to wile away the hours and dispel the problems of the day than a good contemporary romance with a kick-ass heroine and a to-die-for hero.

3) What length do you favor…shorts/novellas/novels? I love novels—the longer the better!

4) Whose POV do you prefer…hero/heroine/villain? I like the heroine’s POV, mostly because I have to really identify with her for a story to work for me. The hero is great, too--who doesn’t want to know what a guy is thinking. As for the villain’s POV? I can take it or leave it.

When I started to write my first book, my original intention had been to write it all in the heroine’s POV. I remember reading romance books in the (very distant) past where that was how it was done. I think it added to the conflict and sexual tension when you didn’t know what the hero was thinking. Then when you got to the resolution, it seemed even more powerful. However, I think readers’ today are different and want to know what the hero is going through, too. SOLDIER FOR LOVE has POV for both the heroine and hero—but not the villain.

5) Do you like first/second/third person? I LOVE first-person. Some day I’d love to write a first-person romance.

Emma: What has been your greatest fear you’ve had to overcome as a writer?

Brenda: That what I write is drivel. I have a background in corporate communications so I do a lot of business writing. That’s different because you’re taking facts and writing about them. Fiction writing comes from your own imagination so it’s taken me a while to become confident that readers will love my stories as much as I do.

Emma: What/who has been your greatest inspiration?

Brenda: My family. I can’t tell you how supportive my husband, children, parents, sister and extended family have all been. When I first published, they were almost as excited as I was.

Emma: What do you hope to accomplish with your writing? Do you have a goal?

Brenda: I hope that my stories make people feel good. They’re escapism, pure and simple. If I can brighten someone’s day, then I feel like I’ve accomplished something.

Emma: What makes your writing unique?

Brenda: I think it comes down to voice. Each writer has his/her own tone and style. My stories are deeply emotional and character-driven. I spend a lot of time thinking about each character--where they come from, their backstory, their hopes and aspirations, etc. Most of it doesn’t make it into the book but it’s important for me to know all that in order to portray them realistically to the reader.

Emma: What appeals to you about your genre?

Brenda: The escapism. I read a lot of different genres and I read them for different reasons. What I love about romance is seeing how two people fall in love, overcome difficulties, and live happily-ever-after.

Emma: How do you deal with criticism?

Brenda: With a background in journalism and business writing, I’ve had to develop a pretty tough skin. I’ll admit, though, criticisms about my romance writing sting a little more. I try to find the “truth” in the criticism. By truth, I mean understand where the critic is coming from, determine if this is something I’m hearing from more than one source, decide if I agree with it and whether I am willing to change it. This is a very subjective business and while everyone has the right to criticize, not every criticism is valid for your writing. Our job as authors is to take what we believe is valid and move on.

Emma: What do you do when you hit a wall? (Can’t figure out a character’s emotions, where the plot should go next, etc.)

Brenda: I have a fantastic critique group. There are four of us and we meet every second week in person. We also have an on-line loop to keep each other up-to-date on our progress or to thrash out any ideas/problems that can’t wait for the next in-person meeting.

Emma: What other works have you published?

Brenda: SOLDIER FOR LOVE is my first work of fiction. However, for more than 20 years I have worked in corporate communications for a number of national associations and have published numerous articles and reports.

Woohoo! Congrats on the crossover!

Emma: What are you working on now?

Brenda: I am currently working on a contemporary romance series entitled HEART’S DESIRE, which chronicles the difficult road to finding love and family acceptance for three cousins. In the first book, HUNGRY HEART, dedicated childcare advocate Nora Cross doesn’t appreciate her meddling sister’s attempts to set her up with celebrity chef Hunter Graham. The “cowboy cook” is far too young for her and his playboy reputation will ruin her career—at least what's left of it after her apartment and office are broken into on the same night.

Emma: Thank you for your time, Brenda, and good luck with your future books!

Brenda: I am donating 25% of my book and eBook royalties from SOLDIER FOR LOVE to the Haitian relief and reconstruction effort. Although fictional, the setting for SOLDIER FOR LOVE was strongly influenced by Haiti's geography, history and culture. Like everyone, I was stunned by the scope of the damage and human suffering inflicted by the January 12 earthquake and its aftershocks. I believe everyone should do whatever they can to help. My decision to donate a portion of the royalties received to date and those going forward is my way to give back to the men and woman who allowed me to share their world during the researching and writing of the book.