1.
What were you before you became an author? Did this influence your
choices as a writer?
I have worked in a number of
fields but spent most of my career in the K-12 education system. I am currently
a school psychologist and worked for years as a school counsellor and special
education teacher.
This experience influenced me
in several ways. My students inspired me to persist, despite the rejections
which so often come to the aspiring author. We ask kids to do hard things every
day and I truly felt it was vital that I continue to pursue my own dreams,
despite adversity.
I was drawn to romance to escape the mundanities of
motherhood and the heart-breaking reality too often involved in school
counselling. Indeed, in those first
years, I developed a split personality; educator and romance author. One was
steeped in realism and the other swaggering heroes. In my recent books, this split has diminished
and my psychology background has taken a greater role in my writing. My
characters have demonstrated the traits of PTSD and autism, although not
diagnosed as such.
2. Are
you genre specific or general? I don’t mean major genres but subdivisions or
romance, mystery or paranormal.
To
date, I have only published in Harlequin Historical, my novels set within the regency
period. I know I will never write a true mystery, although I enjoy reading
them. I find my characters come easily to me but I struggle with plots. While
important in any genre, a strong, believable plot is truly vital for any
mystery!
I chose Harlequin historical because I love history. My undergraduate
degree was in history and I have truly loved immersing myself in these bygone
times. I find that the Regency period offers me the opportunity for verbal wit
and dialogue which I truly enjoy to both read and create.
However, more recently, I have felt a yen to move into contemporary
romance. My heroines are always strong
and independent but their struggle against the constraints of the period feels
hard for me as an author and I may move into a period which offers them greater
independence and more meaningful choice.
3.
What is your latest release?
My latest release is Caught in a Cornish Scandal. Desperate to save her sister from a cruel marriage, Millie chooses to
smuggle off the Cornish coast. She meets Sam when she rescues him from the sea.
Together they struggle to survive and stop the ‘wrecker’ luring ships to
flounder against Cornwall’s desolate shore.
4.
What are you working on now?
My next Harlequin will feature
a secondary character from Caught in a Cornish Scandal. Currently, it is
not yet in its infancy, as I felt the need to pause and regain my inspiration. I am also a middle-grade author and am
currently working on a book featuring an individual with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Disorder. It is a sequel to an earlier publication whose protagonist was under
the Autism Spectrum.
5. Does
your reading choices influence your choice of a writing career?
True
confessions – I truly, truly admire fiction writers who tackle heart break and
despair but I find myself reluctant to go there either in my writing or my
reading. I tend to tackle the tough topics through non-fiction and research
while using writing and reading as a form of escape. My childhood was enriched
with the classics; Jane Austen, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Dickens combined with a
smattering of Mary Stewart, Dorothy L. Sayers and Georgette Heyer. I am always on
the look-out for wit and whimsey. I enjoy language and dialogue.
6. Where
can we find you?
I love
hearing from readers. Please check out my website at Eleanorwebsterauthor.com
and my Facebook page at eleanorwebsterauthor
