Interview with Toni Blake

Deb’s interview with Toni Blake

Toni, welcome and thank you for taking time to chat with us.

Tell us a bit about yourself. Your background, family, pets, etc…

Hey Debbie, thanks so much for the interview! About me – I grew up as an only child in a rural area in Kentucky, where I hated farmwork and wanted nothing more than to be a writer. So I’m pretty thrilled that worked out! ; ) Now I live in a suburb of Cincinnati, where I’m happily married with no kids or pets, and glad I can get milk or gas only two minutes from home ; )

For our readers unfamiliar with your work, tell us what kind of books you write.
I write super sexy romances with lots of emotion and fairly layered, complex plots. For the record, my current book is being billed as “erotica,” but that’s only because the word erotica seems to be taking on new definitions. Yes, my book is super hot, super steamy – but the same kind of book I’ve been writing the past few years, so for people who keep asking me why I switched to something new, I didn’t ; )

How did you get started in your romance writing career? Was this something you always dreamed of or did it evolve over time?

I always dreamed of being a writer, from the age of 10, but the romance part didn’t come until about ten years ago. I was writing literary fiction at the time, and finding modest success with short stories, poetry, and articles – but I wanted to be a novelist, and my novels weren’t getting any interest. A good friend and fellow writer shoved Jenny Crusie’s first 3 books into my hand and said, “This is what you should be writing.” I’d never really read romance before, but I was open-minded. And as soon as I saw how smart, funny, and sexy romance could be, I immediately knew she was right – this was what I should be writing.

What was your first published work and when did it come out?

THE CINDERELLA SCHEME was published by Kensington’s Precious Gems line in June 1998.

How many lines have you or do you currently write for?

Well, I’ve been around ; )

After writing three Precious Gems for Kensington, I moved to Harlequin, where I wrote three books for Temptation and one Duets. From there, I wrote two novels for Warner Forever, and a novella for Signet Eclipse. And now I’m at Avon, currently writing for the new Red line.

How many books do you have out now and does this include your newest September 06 release SWEPT AWAY ?

SWEPT AWAY is my eleventh novel. Although only the more recent books are still available – which is just the nature of the business, unfortunately.

I’ve heard some great things about your new release SWEPT AWAY. Please tell us a bit about it and when we can expect it. What format will it be released in? Mass market, trade size, etc…

Yay! I’m glad to hear you’re hearing good things, since I’m super-excited about this book! It will be released the first of September in trade paperback format and it’s the first full-length novel launching the steamy Avon Red line.

It’s the story of Kat Spencer, who is luxuriating on a private island and ruminating on her upcoming wedding – when a man from her past literally washes up onto the beach. She’d once tried to seduce him and failed, leaving her humiliated. Now, they’re stranded on the island and this time he’s trying to seduce her. Oh, and there are bad guys chasing them, too. So it’s action-packed and a lot of fun, but also very sexy and emotional.

Readers can find an excerpt and reviews of the book at http://www.toniblake.com/, so I hope they’ll stop by for a visit!

What was it like seeing your first book on the store shelf? Hope you had a grand celebration!

Indeed, there’s nothing quite like that and I remember it well. It’s a huge feeling of, “I did it! I really did it!” I had a booksigning in my hometown and sold about 75 copies of the book, which was phenomenal and great fun.

Have you always written under the name of Toni Blake? If not, what other name did you use and what do you have published under this name? Do you thing these books will ever be republished under the Toni Blake name?

Actually, those first three Precious Gems books were written as Toni Blair. Blair is my husband’s name, and I liked the sound of our names together. But by the time I sold to Harlequin, Tony Blair the Prime Minister was a lot more visible in the news than he had been a couple of years before and Harlequin wanted me to change my name – so Toni Blake I became ; )

It would be fabulous to see those books republished someday, but I have no idea if it will ever happen ; )

Tell us a bit about your writing process. What usually gives you the spark of an idea for a story? People, places, events or is it different with each character and book? Are your characters ever based on real people or events? Do your characters ever take off in a direction you hadn’t planned for them to go?

For me, it’s no one particular thing. Sometimes it’s a character that pops into my head, or a scenario. Often, it is about setting for me – I tend to get a lot of ideas when I travel, and I’ve always heard traveling increases creativity, so that makes sense. And no, I never base characters on anyone real. I sometimes think they all must, in some way, be a part of me, or I couldn’t create them – but more often, I think of a writer like an actor, portraying the character as they need to be portrayed to tell the story. As for them going off in their own directions – yes, in small ways, but seldom in big ones, so it turns out more fun than frustrating for me, I’m happy to say.

What kind of writer are you? Do you plot and outline your books to the last detail and follow that religiously or do you have a more relaxed form of writing? How do you keep up with the pertinent details of your story? Do you use notes or a log of some sort to keep track?

I’m a definite hard-core plotter, but not to the last detail. I know where the story is going and how it’s basically going to get there, but the rest comes as I write. As for notes or logs, afraid not – I try to store it all in my head and then find myself going back and searching the manuscript to see what color someone’s eyes were or what I named a minor character who needs to be mentioned again. Not the most efficient way, but it’s how I do it ; )

Is there any certain atmosphere you like to create before you start writing?

Not really. I just like peace and quiet so I can sink into the story and concentrate.

Give us an idea of the research you do for your books. I know you and your DH do a lot of traveling. Do you use some of these travels as research for your books? Do you have a favorite area that you prefer to set you books in?

I do whatever kind of research I must ; ) Sometimes, if I’m lucky, I find someone who can answer questions for me. For instance, in SWEPT AWAY, the hero, Brock, is an FBI Agent and he’s on the job during the story. Author Maggie Price, who has a police background and a husband and brother who are policemen, was invaluable in helping me figure out some of the action/intrigue parts of the plot. And author Sue-Ellen Welfonder and her agent, Roberta Brown, helped me with their insider knowledge of Naples, Florida, where part of the story is set.

When I can’t find friends who have the answers I need, I hit the Internet or the library and do my best.

And yes, I do research when traveling, too – but that’s usually more about observation. Looking for a great place to set a scene and taking in the details, that kind of thing. Although when I was writing IN YOUR WILDEST DREAMS, I traveled to New Orleans specifically for research and got all my questions answered.

As for a favorite area, hard to say. I love the beach and set both SWEPT AWAY and THE RED DIARY there. And the New Orleans backdrop was a favorite. But overall, I like to move my settings around – I think it keeps things fresh for me.

I know you wrote some terrific category romances before you switched to single title books. What made you take the leap to write the longer, sexier books? Was it a hard transition to make and do you enjoy writing one style more than the other? Will you be writing more category romances in the future?

Well, the transition came naturally, in a way. My agent at the time really felt I was cut out for single title, and my editors at Harlequin, indeed, felt I leaned toward more complex books than fit easily into the category world. I myself liked writing both lengths, but I definitely enjoy the freedom single title provides and I have no plans at this time to write more category books. Although I would enjoy doing more novellas if the opportunity permits.

Is there any other genre of book you would like to write in the future?

I have written a few historical romances and I would adore breaking into that sub-genre someday.

Are you a big reader? Could you share some of your favorite authors and books with us?

I’d like to read more than I do – deadlines and publicity keep me pretty busy these days, I’m afraid.

But when I do have time, let’s see … I love Barbara Samuel and Judith Ivory and Teresa Medeiros – but mostly, I read across the board, no particular author, just whatever looks good. Oh, and I love Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series – and before anyone asks the next obvious question about that: I think Ranger is a lot of hot fun, but Joe is the guy she belongs with in the end ; )

Do you think your writing has been influenced by any other authors or person in your life?

Wow, big question. Other authors – I think very early on I was influenced by Judy Blume, and later, when I was writing literary stuff, Sherman Alexie and Louise Erdrich. In romance, Jenny Crusie definitely. Also Terri Medeiros and Kathleen Eagle. The one thing I think all these authors taught me was about emotion. Sometimes comedy, too, but mostly that it’s about making the reader FEEL something.

And as an aside: One great thing about this business, you oftentimes get to know your idols! I’m pleased to say I can count Jenny Crusie, Terri Medeiros, and Sherman Alexie as friends – so that’s a very cool thing.

What do you do for fun? Do you have any hobbies that you find time to indulge in? Do you have any special treats you give yourself, like chocolate or a shopping spree, after a hard day or week?

I guess the special treats I give myself are my hobbies.

I’m way into crafts – I’m an avid scrapbooker and counted cross-stitcher, and I’m proud to say I just finished my first quilt, every stitch by hand. I hope to do more and have already designed a couple of appliqué quilts. I’ve dabbled in crocheting – which made it into IN YOUR WILDEST DREAMS – and right now I’m dabbling in some woodcrafts and jewelry-making. I’m also into genealogy – I’ve researched all the branches of my family and have an extensive website with my findings. I’m kind of just all about “creating” – whether it’s books or quilts : )

Give us an example of your typical day. Do you try to keep to a specific writing schedule or a certain number of pages written per day?

I write every day – usually from 8 to 2, when I break for lunch and watch All My Children, which I tape in order to cut out commercials. Then I work again from about 2:45 til 6 or 7. I’m a fast writer, so on a good day I can get out anywhere from 15 to 30 pages. But once you factor in e-mail, publicity, and things like doctor’s appointments, hair appointments, errands, etc., etc., the whole schedule ends up changing a lot more than I like. The wonderful thing I’m grateful for is having the freedom to change it ; )

If you had a piece of advice to give to a new writer, what would it be?

Don’t give up. Most people do. If you don’t, and if you learn your craft, you’ll get there. I firmly believe that.

Toni, thanks so much for coming by to chat with us. Continued good luck with your wonderful books!

Thank you, Debbie, for a great interview! I really enjoyed it!

I'm happy to say that Toni with be blogging with us tomorrow. I will post her blog for her and then she will be popping in for comments and questions. Please give a big welcome to this wonderful writer!