Kathleen E. Woodiwiss answers your burning questions What is it about romantic novels that appeals to you as a writer? I've been a romantic all my life. I began devouring fairytales as soon as I learned how to read, even settling my mind on an all-time favorite, Beauty and the Beast, the idea of which I later loosely adapted into a plot for my fourth historical romance, A Rose in Winter, nearly ten years before Walt Disney presented to the world their animated movie based on the original fairytale. Long before I decided to write my own romantic tale, however, I was often frustrated by what seemed a serious dearth of books that appeased my romantic bent. Oh, I read many of the classics, loved them, but after becoming hooked at a very early age, I was forever searching for tales of higher quality, not the thin, hundred-page stories that were hardly more than an outline. What advice would you give to would-be authors who want to write romance? First find something that appeals to you. Since my first book, the romance genre has gone off in so many different directions that readers and writers shouldn't have any problem finding a favorite category, whether they lean toward the futuristic, western, mystery or countless other themes. How did you go about getting your first book published? Finding a publisher was indeed difficult. I started off by sending THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER to hardback companies, perhaps as many as eight or so. I got the usual rejection slips. Frustrated, I sent my manuscript to an agent, but I soon learned that it was as difficult to find a good agent as a publisher. Then I decided to give paperback publishers a try. I bought a WRITER'S DIGEST, and started off with the A's in the list of publishers in the back of the magazine. What qualities do you think a good heroine should have? I think a heroine should be a compassionate and strong-minded person. I'm not fond of weak-willed heroines, or women who think only of themselves. What qualities should a good hero have? Courage, confidence and loyalty, to name a few. These are qualities that I gave to Colton, for example, in The Reluctant Suitor. Do you think physical appearance, first impressions and similarities of background should be important in a romance? I believe Jane Eyre was described as being less than beautiful, and yet, that is a wonderful classic, so I would say those attributes are not altogether necessary in a romantic tale. How often do you revisit the same characters and locations in your books? While I've written sequels for The Flame and the Flower in the past, I'm not terribly fond of writing them anymore, so now most of my novels stand alone. However I am hooked on historical romances, so that is one area of similarity between my books. But the plots, characters and scenery are entirely different in each of my books. Where do you get the ideas for your books? My imagination. I've never had any problem thinking up plots; the difficult part is putting them down in a compelling form on paper. I do a lot of rewrites until I'm satisfied with the results. Do you have another book in the works? There's always a book in the works. My next book will be a medieval set in England and Scotland. Do you enjoy hearing from readers? I'd enjoy corresponding through quick emails, since I'm not much for writing long letters. Long books, yes. Long letters, no. Do your books contain a "message" for your readers? I never set out to give anyone a "message". My desire has always been to entertain my readers. I am often enthralled and refreshed by a novel that's beguiling, exciting and fast-paced. People need relaxation in whatever area of work they are in, whether it's a housewife who has the very important task of nurturing her children or a doctor of nuclear physics. Without relaxation, our very human mechanisms would begin to break down. Do you have a favorite hero and heroine among your books? The heroes and heroines of each of my books have been especially dear to me while I've been in the midst of working on those manuscripts. But if I were to select favorites, perhaps I would have to say that it must be Ruark Beauchamp and Shanna from Shanna and Cole Latimer and Alaina MacGaren from Ashes in the Wind. Of those four, I would say Ruark Beauchamp and Alaina MacGaren. Of those two, Alaina MacGaren. In my opinion she had more appealing aspects in her character than any of my other heroines. Please visit our Message Board for more information on Kathleen Woodiwiss, to read what other people have to say or to post your own comment.