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It started in 8th grade when I wrote a short story about a young girl’s suicide. The newspaper adviser liked it and published it. For half a day, I was a celebrity writer! That was a good half day.
When I tromped off to college, I found
myself involved with the school newspaper and transitioned into journalism. My
dream was to write for the Washington Post before I turned 30. That goal was
not met.
I think my journalism roots are still
evident because to write a 60-word sentence about the sunset is not something I’m
capable of doing. Just the facts, ma’am. That’s what my favorite editor at a
newspaper in Sedalia, Missouri, taught me. That lesson stuck.
Publishers have told me my descriptions
are thin sometimes, so I’m working on being more generous with adjectives. I
think part of the problem is I can see what I’m describing so vividly in my own
mind, it doesn’t occur to me that the reader doesn’t see it too.
Wow, so you've been a professional writer for a long time. With your background in journalism, do you write in the romance genre or across lines?
My current WIP, A Year with Geno, is
complete romance. I am so looking forward to typing THE END because I want to
start writing my first cozy mystery, “Death Comes to the Ogallala County Fair.”
Isn’t that a fun title? I intend to write across lines.
Yes, that sounds like a great title! Let's talk a little about heat level so your readers will know what to expect. Is that bedroom door open or closed?You know, I struggle with this. I might guess that all new romance writers do. I know I will never write erotica. I don’t want to write a book that I wouldn’t want my children to read. I wanted to turn up the heat in A Year with Geno and include an intimacy scene, but I don’t know. I’m still mulling.
Gotcha. What about your characters. Do you have a favorite one you've created? And if so, why?
I probably have a favorite character for
every novel I’ve written. For Celebration House, it’s the character of Violet.
I also worry most about Violet because she’s a former slave who chooses to stay
after emancipation. The reason I love Violet is because she’s so supportive of
my main character, Carrie. When everyone else is putting up obstacles or
tearing Carrie down, there’s Violet, encouraging her. I gave Carrie way more
than she could do, so to have that person, that voice, to tell Carrie that yes,
she can finish the restorations. Yes, the house is going to be beautiful when
it’s done. That’s powerful stuff.
Wonderful! You're writing sounds very emotionally charged. What about self-publication? Have you ever considered going that route with your stories?
Yes. I’ve considered self-publication
for my middle-grade novel, Bone Girl, because I haven’t found a traditional
publisher for it yet. But I think self-publishing takes money – to have the
book edited, design the cover, format the manuscript. To do it right takes
money. Alas, I have shallow pockets these days. And if I can’t do it right, I
don’t want to do it at all.
Yep. I hear ya! Now that Celebration House has been released, what project are you working on?
My contemporary romance, A Year with
Geno is kind of along the lines of the Brady Bunch, for those who remember
that sitcom from the 1970s. My main character finds herself evicted and she
can’t find a rental, so through a string of events, she moves in with Geno, a handsome
dad of two teenagers. The book takes place in Eagle River, Alaska, a suburb of
Anchorage, and is set over the course of a year. I want to incorporate setting
in this novel, as well as pay homage to the amazing women who nurtured and
supported me during the most difficult chapter of my life. I hope to have it
finished by the end of the year and go looking for a home for it.
That sounds like a GREAT story. I remember the Brady Bunch!! LOL What about after
finishing a manuscript? Do you take some time off or dive right in to the next
story?
I dive into the next story. I don’t
wait.
I'm usually anxious to get started on the next project, as well. What about your reading preferences? What’s
on your nightstand (or downloaded onto your Kindle) right now?
I’ve just discovered Kristan Higgins,
and as romance is my genre, I’m reading every book of hers. She’s a gifted
writer. On my Kindle, I’m reading Deb Stover’s books because she has been so
supportive of my work and I wanted to reciprocate. She writes time-travel
romance, and I’ve long been a fan of that genre. Yes, I also want to write
time-travel romance. See? This is why I need to quit my day job. I’ve got too
many books I want to write.
LOL! Never enough hours in the day, right? Who
is your favorite author and why?
Though I’ve not written a manuscript in
his genre, I’m a huge Ray Bradbury fan. I wanted to name my youngest son after
him, but my husband said no. So we named our child J.K. Rowling. I’m kidding. His
name is Jack.
LOLOL! Oh my gosh, you're hilarious. My son's name is Jack too! Now for some fun stuff. Which
Superhero would you most love to date and why?
Okay, normally, I don’t find Superheroes
all that and more, but I have to say, Thor, as portrayed by Chris Hemsworth, is
a beautiful sight.
Yes. Yes he is. LOL Does
your husband read your work? And, if so, what's his reaction?
Yep. He does. Pretty much every word.
Even better, when I say things like “Do you think I’ll ever find a publisher
for Bone Girl?” he assures me I will.
Okay, I now see why you don't need a superhero. It's because you're married to one! :-) Give
me the five top words your best friends would use to describe you. I’ve thought about this a lot. Perhaps too much. Here they are:
Impatient – A college professor once told me I’m the most impatient person he had ever met. This is not a good quality for a writer.
Optimist.
Funny.
Compassionate. Though I don’t always feel this way.
Tardy – I’m always late for things. It drives my family crazy.
I've learned (or at leat I like to tell myself I've learned) a vast amount of patience since I became a writer. LOL Favorite
cocktail?
I don’t drink alcohol due to some health
concerns and the fact that it puts me right to sleep. I drink far too much
coffee and diet Coke.
Caffeine addicts UNITE! LOL Any
pets?
I’m privileged enough to be the owner of
a basset hound, Eeyore, and a cat, Ruby. To complete the set, I rescued a lame
horse about two years ago. Lacy is my therapist. I tell her all my worries and
fears; she tells me to bring more apples and fewer carrots on my next
visit. Oh, I love that! Here's a picture of Lacy with Annette!! Thank you for submitting to my interrogation! And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for, a sneak peek inside Celebration House! Whoo Hoo!
Now, with her new heart failing, she leaves the
bustle of Seattle behind and returns to Lexington, Missouri, the small town
where she spent her childhood. Here, she sets out to restore an abandoned
antebellum mansion and open it as a venue for celebrations.
Carrie’s work is cut out for her. The 150-year-old
Greek revival house is in need of serious repair. Her sister, Melanie, tries to
bully Carrie into returning to Seattle, predicting “her little project” is
doomed to fail. Finally, Carrie’s health gives out on her, requiring emergency
surgery.
But she will not give up. Carrie’s unique gift
allows her to build relationships with the mansion’s original occupants,
especially Maj. Tom Stewart, the handsome Civil War soldier who died a hundred
years before Carrie was born. He encourages and comforts her, though not in the
physical way they both desire.
Then there’s the builder of the house, Col.
Bartholomew Stratton. If there’s one thing this 19th century horse trader
cannot abide, it’s the living trespassing on his estate. He delights in scaring
these intruders away, even if they are paying guests.
Will Carrie finish restoring Celebration House or
will it finish her? And how can she plan a future with a man who has only a
past?
~ * ~
Driving up to the house, Carrie
smiled. She loved the long driveway, the poplar trees on both sides. Behind the
trees, the fences had fallen into disrepair. Just one more thing she’d have to
fix. She parked her car alongside the house and stacked her groceries and
camping gear on the front porch. Seeing a small barn behind the main building,
she decided to explore and see if there was room to park her car inside.
Carrie opened the door and stepped
inside. Sunlight streamed in through the dirty windows. Even though the barn
had been vacant for years, she smelled hay and horses.
Looking to her left, she saw a man
shaving. He was bare from the waist up, his chest finely proportioned, lean,
and muscular. His arms were powerfully built, and his right hand remained
steady as he scraped the white soap from his angular jaw. His dark blue uniform
pants were tucked into black leather knee-high riding boots. He stood at least
six foot tall, and though Carrie hadn’t made her living in the carnival, she
guessed he was probably younger than her, likely in his mid 20s. He peered
intently at a small mirror tacked up on one of the barn walls. She waited to
speak until after he’d finished the last swipe with the ivory-handled straight
blade and had dipped it into the basin of soapy water.
“Good morning.”
He turned towards her suddenly, his
expression an equal mix of surprise and annoyance. He dropped the razor and
grabbed his shirt off a nearby nail. He turned his back to Carrie and pulled it
on.
“Yes. Do you see me?”
“Yes, but I believe I have the
advantage. I am dead. You are not.”
“I’m sorry to intrude on you. I’m
Carrie Hansen,” she said, stepping toward him and extending her hand.
Without even thinking, he reached to
shake her hand but his passed through hers. They both jerked back.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to
intrude,” she said.
“You surprised me. That’s all. We
don’t get many visitors out here, especially living ones who can see us,” he
said, putting his blue uniform coat over his shirt and buttoning the long row
of brass buttons. “I’m Maj. Thomas Stewart, at your service,” he said, bowing
formally at the waist.
“I am sorry I startled you. I
sometimes forget that ghosts aren’t accustomed to being seen.”
“How may I be of service to you,
Miss Hansen?”
“Where can I find Col. Stratton? I
need to speak with him.”
His dark blue eyes showed his
puzzlement. “The living do not go looking for Col. Stratton. What business do
you have with him?”
“I bought this house, and I intend
to live here.”
~ * ~
Annette Drake’s work is character-driven and celebrates the law of
unintended consequences. Her debut novel, Celebration
House, debuted on August 1st in e-book format for readers
everywhere from Tirgearr Publishing.
Annette left high school after two years to obtain her GED and attend
Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. There she earned a degree in
journalism before working as a reporter and editor for newspapers in Missouri
and Kansas. She earned a bachelor of science in nursing in 1994 from Rockhurst
University in Kansas City, Missouri, and worked as a registered nurse in
hospitals throughout Missouri, Alaska and Washington for 18 years before
returning her focus to writing.
Annette recently completed her middle-grade novel, Bone Girl, and is hard at work revising her steamy contemporary
romance, A Year with Geno.
She is the mother of four children. The oldest just graduated from the
University of Washington; the youngest just graduated from kindergarten. She is
a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators. She
loves libraries, basset hounds and bakeries. She does not camp.
You can follow her
writing at www.Annettedrake.com.
She welcomes correspondence at: Write2me@annettedrake.com.
Find Celebration House on the web at: 
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