I’m finding myself a bit of both lately. After panstering through the November NanNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) with the goal of finishing my latest novel, I was left with a MESS of scenes! I then got those scenes on synopsis cards and went to work PLOTTING.
2. Which comes first - characters or plot for you?
Usually characters. They grab a hold and won’t let me go until I tell their stories.
3. What are you working on now? Is this a book in a current series or something totally new?
I’m working on publicity for Mercies of the Fallen, which is Book 2 in my American Civil War Brides series. The Civil War is entering its last year as I write: the end, with my characters in a pretty unsettled state and a series of possible disasters waiting for them. I think I need to continue their story, So Mercies of the Fallen might need a sequel, quick!
4. Do you have some kind of object or place that figures in most of your books? I use gems a lot, hospitals and caves.
I have noticed that in your work, Janet! Now, an analyst might say this all has to do with your need to live a bright life, with lots of healing and mysterious depths to plumb. As your reader, all I know is that they’re all great choices and make for wonderful storytelling! I have not noticed repeating objects or places in my books. I guess I’ll leave that to the readers to find, if they care to!
5. Do you write everyday or just when the spirit hits?
Every day works better for me. Having the time and place habit going every day helps me put the work harness on.
6. Where can we find you?
I live in the Great Falls region of Vermont. And online readers can find me at:
EileenC1988 on twitter
EileenCharbonneauAuthor on facebook
eileencharbonneau on instagram
7. Who are your favorite authors? What about a book you’ve enjoyed?
I love a good galloping story, with life-like characters, that is well-told. How wonderful that is to find! How difficult that is to create! I generally stay away from literary novels, many of which seem to me more about style than substance. For beautiful language, I depend more on poetry. I read in every genre except horror. Authors whose work I’ve enjoyed include Alice Hoffman, Mary Balogh, Charlotte Bronte, Donis Casey, Cathy Maxwell, Jane Austen, Michelle Cox, Lindsey Davis, Daphne duMaurier, Isabelle Allende, Beverley Jenkins, Louisa May Alcott. If you’ll notice, my list is female-heavy. That’s because I was an English Major, and so studied dusty old and awful contemporary male writers, and I’m still catching up. Shakespeare, Dickens, duMaupassant, Chekhov, and Hugo survived the purge, however! The latest book I’m over-the-moon about is Trouble the Water, a novelization of the life of Robert Smalls by Rebecca Dwight Bruff.
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