What books/authors have influenced your writing?Tell us something you hate doing. Why?
Editing, UGH! I know it’s necessary but I hate the tedious nature. I use a program which helps, but still.
Share a funny incident in your life.
Sad due to a bad breakup when I was much younger, I took my lunch break in a nearby park. A beautiful spring day, I sat in my car with the windows open. Weepy, I leaned my head out the window and moaned to the sky “what more can you do to me?” It was at that moment a bird in a tree above me pooped and it landed with a huge splat right on top of my head (my hair was long and parted in the middle drawn into a low pony tail – difficult to clean.) Lesson learned from this? Don’t ask if you don’t want the answer…because you’ll likely get one.
What's your pet peeve?
My pet peeve while writing is to be interrupted when I am working at a fast clip. I need a sign on the front door. “Do not disturb - Author at work.”
When you are in writer mode, music or no music? If music do you have a playlist?
Definitely music, it helps me focus…I listen to literally all kinds of music depending on my mood. I’m listening to the Beatles station on Amazon Prime right now.
Who was your favorite hero/heroine?
My favorite heroine is Jane Austen’s Elizabeth Bennett – a bright, intelligent, and discerning woman of her time. My favorite hero is Harper Lee’s Atticus Finch, a strong, honorable man in dark times for this country.
Have you ever had one character you wanted to go one way with but after the book was done the character was totally different?
My books always evolve when I’m writing them. No plotter here…I think the daughter of the original couple in my first book Touch the Sky changed the most from what I intended. Celeste was pregnant with her at the end of the first book. In the second book, Swept Away, Lisette was a spoiled young lady of the aristocracy, self assured and cocky. However, in the third book, His Wicked Lady, she eloped with a lord, who turned out to be an abusive lout who married her for her money. Lisette undergoes quite a transformation in the story as she heals, with help from the heroine Miss Caroline Burgess.
What’s you next project?
I’ve completed my fourth book and am now editing (UGH!) It’s the first book in a new series about The Inquisitor, a vicious serial killer who travels to Hawaii in 1898 chasing Serena Whitlock, his designated victim. This one is quite different from the Touch the Sky series. It’s designated a thriller, not even romantic suspense. More books are planned for both series.
What's the one thing, you can't live without?
My little dogs. I have two fifteen-year-old Shih Tzus, a male and a female, litter mates. They sit with me in the office when I write.
What is your favorite movie (song)?
Favorite movie or song? If I have to pinpoint it, I’d say “To Kill a Mockingbird” is my favorite movie, with a superb cast. Stunning performances were given by Gregory Peck as Atticus, and Robert Duval as Boo Radley. As to song these days it’s “In My Life” by the Beatles. (“There are places I remember all my life, but some have changed…”)
What's your favorite TV show of all time and why?
My favorite all-time television show is the mini-series, “Lonesome Dove” taken from Larry McMurtry’s grand saga of Texas in the nineteenth century. I weep buckets every time during this one. My dogs look up at me and then to each other as if to say, “There she goes again…”
What's your favorite TV character of all time and why?
Actually it depends on the character. I’ve had them all in my books. Ink is traditional for Hawaiians so some of the warrior characters in Forbidden (Kapu) are heavily inked.
Your favorite book by you or another author
In the last couple of years, Charlaine Harris released a wonderful trilogy, The Midnight Texas series. She said she would only write three, but some plotlines are not yet resolved. Please write one more! I loved all three of the books in this series and devoured them. As for my writing I always like the one I just finished.
What's your favorite TV character of all time and why?
Actually it depends on the character. I’ve had them all in my books. Ink is traditional for Hawaiians so some of the warrior characters in Forbidden (Kapu) are heavily inked.
Your favorite book by you or another author
In the last couple of years, Charlaine Harris released a wonderful trilogy, The Midnight Texas series. She said she would only write three, but some plotlines are not yet resolved. Please write one more! I loved all three of the books in this series and devoured them. As for my writing I always like the one I just finished.
If you could write in another genre what would it be & why?
Oh definitely paranormal. It’s my favorite genre to read. I like ones with some comedy. I am working on a comic paranormal. This petite Wiccan from a small town comes to Dallas. She finds work as a costumer for a drag theater. In time she opens her own shop selling vintage clothes and magical artifacts. She meets a 6’5” warlock from a famous Highlands clan, a darling of the paparazzi. The sparks fly. Seeking a powerful amulet stolen from his family, she helps him search, while the Girls keep her shop open. The mismatched pair falls in love. Lots of magical surprises and not all of them good. With Les Belles (the trio of queens) as the bridesmaids in pink lace tea-length gowns, the couple marries. Dedicated to RuPaul and The Lady Chablis, untitled as yet, I hope to release this one in the next couple of years.
Sharon Drane first set foot on a stage at the age of six. For the next fifty-four years she acted in productions. In her early 20s she began directing, a second career which lasted over forty years. Employed by various agencies with the State of Texas, she worked for over thirty-five years as a social worker in the field, and then as a manager of contracts. She worked first at the regional level and then was promoted to Austin and management of statewide contracts.
Links:
Oh definitely paranormal. It’s my favorite genre to read. I like ones with some comedy. I am working on a comic paranormal. This petite Wiccan from a small town comes to Dallas. She finds work as a costumer for a drag theater. In time she opens her own shop selling vintage clothes and magical artifacts. She meets a 6’5” warlock from a famous Highlands clan, a darling of the paparazzi. The sparks fly. Seeking a powerful amulet stolen from his family, she helps him search, while the Girls keep her shop open. The mismatched pair falls in love. Lots of magical surprises and not all of them good. With Les Belles (the trio of queens) as the bridesmaids in pink lace tea-length gowns, the couple marries. Dedicated to RuPaul and The Lady Chablis, untitled as yet, I hope to release this one in the next couple of years.
Author Bio:
Sharon Drane first set foot on a stage at the age of six. For the next fifty-four years she acted in productions. In her early 20s she began directing, a second career which lasted over forty years. Employed by various agencies with the State of Texas, she worked for over thirty-five years as a social worker in the field, and then as a manager of contracts. She worked first at the regional level and then was promoted to Austin and management of statewide contracts.
She began writing short stories and poetry in high school, later moving on to science fiction fanfic. During her tenure in the field of social work Sharon began writing love stories, completing two novels in spite of her hectic schedule. She retired in 2009 and moved to Florida on family business. It was here she rediscovered her love of writing. During her time in the Sunshine State, she has completed a novella and two published novels, with the third in the series due to release on December 1. Her fourth novel is currently in progress and slated to be published in 2017.
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Thank you so much for interviewing me for your blog!
ReplyDeleteIt was my pleasure!
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