Welcome to Roxanne St. Claire's guest blog!

Bio:
In the six years since her first romantic suspense was released from Pocket books, Roxanne St. Claire has celebrated the release of twenty-four titles for two publishers in three subgenres. In that same time frame, her books have been nominated for four RITA Awards, and won one in 2007. A self-professed contest slut, her books have also won the National Reader’s Choice Award for best romantic suspense for the past two consecutive years, the Daphne du Maurier Award, the HOLT Medallion, the Maggie, Booksellers Best, Book Buyers Best, several Awards of Excellence, the Aspen Gold and multiple Gayle Wilson Awards of Excellence. In addition, her titles have been selected by Doubleday and Rhapsody Book Clubs as featured selections, and have been translated into dozens of languages, and one was chosen by Borders as the “top pick” for the year.

This year, fans of her Bullet Catchers series are enjoying back-to-back excitement as Hunt Her Down was released four weeks ago, and Make Her Pay comes out in ten days. Next year, she will launch a second romantic suspense series, featuring a rogue family of street smart crime fighters known as the Guardian Angelinos.

She’s from Florida, an active member of multiple RWA chapters, and a regular on the craft workshop circuit. And if you know her, you call her Rocki.



Hello everyone – I’m so happy to be here at Loves Romances & More! Thanks for inviting me in to talk about reading, writing, and romance. I’m going to tackle these interview questions but will definitely pop in throughout the day to answer any other questions you might have. And please comment! One commenter will be chosen at random to win any of one of my Bullet Catchers series – so drop by and comment!


If you could change places with one character from your book, who would it be and why?

Oooh. That’s tough. I put my characters into some pretty sticky situations, and I doubt I’d have the brains or brawn to get out as creatively they do. That’s why they call it fiction! But if I could steal a sexy night of hot craziness with just ONE of my heroes…I think I’d go for Dan Gallagher (HUNT HER DOWN) because I like a man who makes me laugh. No, it would be Alex Romero (KILL ME TWICE) because I have a weakness for Latin lovers. No, scratch that, Adrien Fletcher (FIRST YOU RUN) because of that glorious Aussie accent. I take that back. It would have to be….wait…I…love them all!!

What is your favorite book from the books that you have written so far? Who are your favorite hero and heroine, and why?

You’re kidding, right? I just told you, I love them all. But it’s a fair question, so I’ll do my best. I like my books for reasons that sometimes have nothing to do with the story, and everything to do with the writing. Some of them are just plain easier than others to write. If the book “cooperated” (like a very easy child to raise) then I loved it. TAKE ME TONIGHT was a painless book to write, so it has a soft place in my heart. THEN YOU HIDE was written during emotional turmoil, when my husband had open heart surgery, so it was a great escape for me to write that story, thus I love it. HIS STYLE OF SEDUCTION, my last Desire, features a hero that just cracked me up all the way through, so I loved writing that book, and it could be my favorite of the category novels I’ve written.

The same is true for my heroes and heroines…some were less challenging than others, and I love them for it. Still, others made me crazy (Max Roper in THRILL ME TO DEATH and Con Xenakis in MAKE HER PAY) so I feel most gratified by having “tamed” them in the end.

Would you like to give another genre a try?

Yes, yes, yes! I would love to write Young Adult, as it is my very favorite genre to read, and I have a teen and a tween who keep me young. (And tired.) I would love to write women’s fiction as it has evolved from chick lit; I wrote one in that sort of cross-over genre, called HIT REPLY, and it was a joy to write. I devour straight category romance, and romantic comedy and would definitely like to write one in the future. I don’t think I am capable of writing paranormal or historical, so I’ll stick to reading them. But never say never – I just love to write.


If you could choose of your books for a movie, which one would it be and who would you as the cast?

These are tough questions!! I write my books as “movies in my head” so I could see almost any one of them as a movie. The one that I think has the most potential is a Christmas novella I wrote for the HQ/NASCAR series that I’m thrilled to say won a RITA. It has “Hallmark Christmas Movie” all over it, complete with adorable children and sappy ending. I am terrible at casting because I see these imaginary people in my head, and they’re really not based on movie stars. I’ll let my readers and commenters suggest books and stars, okay?

If you could travel through time to visit a special time period or famous person, what or who would it be and why?

Do I have to limit it to just one? I’d love to sit down with Margaret Mitchell and talk about writing GONE WITH THE WIND. I’d love to know everything about her process from beginning to end.

Do you listen to music while you are writing and if so what music is it?

I can’t even stand the sound of someone breathing in the next room. I “hear” my book as I write and outside noises are very distracting to me. I get very deep into the place and head of the characters and a distraction can pull me so far out, it takes about fifteen minutes for me to get back there. I do love to listen to music in the car or while working out, and then I think about the story or get ideas for characters, but no sound while doing the actual writing.


Big congrats to your latest releases, Hunt her down and Make her pay, can you please tell us something about the books?

Thank you – I’m so excited about having back-to-back releases. These two are, for now, the last in my Bullet Catchers series, which is eight full length novels and two novellas about an elite group of bodyguards and security specialists run by a brilliant woman. HUNT HER DOWN is Dan Gallagher’s book, a fan favorite, and definitely one that is close to my heart. He’s off to secretly locate and protect a woman from his past…only to learn that she’s the one with the mindblowing secret. And MAKE HER PAY features a former Bullet Catcher seeking redemption and a second chance, but is given an assignment that sends him right back to the dark side. I hope readers love them both!

Are you working on anything right now, and can you tell us a teaser about these projects?

I finished a manuscript yesterday – YAY! It doesn’t have an official title yet, but it is the launch book of a new romantic suspense series for Grand Central Publishing and I’m very, very excited about it. The series features an extended family of renegade crimefighters and investigators called The Guardian Angelinos. The first hero is scarred and wounded, something I’ve never done before. I really enjoyed the challenge…and falling in love with him. Sigh. That book is scheduled for release next fall, so stay tuned!

And, please, ask me anything! I promise to answer and give away a book!!!