Tina Wainscott talks about her release, What Lies in Shadow.

What went Between the Sheets of this book?  Either what was happening in your life when you wrote it, or what was happening with the book as you wrote it.

There's a lot of "Who can you trust?" and finding out people are not who you thought they were, and interestingly enough, I had a real-life version of that going on with someone we thought was a friend.  It made me realize that you never really know anyone, and for a while I felt like a heroine in someone else's book about a psychopath!  And though I don't want to get into details, I'm very glad to say that I'm happily back into the land of fictional crazy people.

When did you decide to sit down and write your first novel and what led up to the publication of your first book?

I've always been a storyteller.  When I was a kid, I would be the director and make up stories about being chased by bad guys and, of course, I had to have a romance in there, too (innocent romance!).  I can remember climbing up on one of those billboards and climbing a tree that hung over a major highway, all in the name of the story. I sat at the coffee table typing stories later on, and when I was in my late teens I started writing short stories.  My first "sale" was a letter to XEROX praising their new electronic typewriter.  And I was thrilled when I got a good rejection letter from Cosmopolitan.  My then-boyfriend (now husband) bought me a computer for Christmas, and I was really off and running then. 

One day I had an idea that was too long for a short story, and that became my first novel.  It was a Silhouette Romance that broke all the rules, was missing a chunk of the story, and got a really nice rejection letter anyway.  I was already working on the next book, which also never got published, but by the time that made the rounds, I was already on the next book (this is a great strategy for not putting all your hopes into one book).  I then got an agent and won the Golden Heart Award from the Romance Writers of America.  My agent sold that book to St. Martin's Press.

Where did you find the idea to write this novel?

It started with the idea of a woman having a blog where she talked about her deepest desires and her fear that her husband was having an affair.  Then I thought about her meeting someone who tempted her through that blog, and one innocent lunch later, she's thrown into a terrifying situation where she cannot trust anyone.

How long did it take to develop your characters for this book?

Usually I have a general idea of the characters when I get the story idea.  Then I look for pictures of that person in magazines (in this case it was Kristin Davis and Hayden Christensen for the husband). Sometimes I know right away and other times it's a tough casting call.  Then I do an extensive interview for the major characters. This process can take maybe a month.

Why this story at this time?

Blogging is so popular now.  As an author, I know it's a good idea to do it, though I can't find the time to do it regularly.  And with websites like MySpace and Facebook, people put their personal lives right out there for anyone to see.  Do you know who's looking at your profile? 

Are you a visual writer?   Do you see scenes and characters in your head?   Or do you hear the characters voices?

I'm very visual.  It's like watching a movie and writing down what I see and hear. 

What are your thoughts on First Person verses Third Person?  Which is your preference?

I like both points of view.  In this book and my last, Until the Day You Die, I flirted with both.  I've read books that blended both so well, and I loved the first-person intimacy with the key character and still being able to get into other people's heads, too.  I guess I wanted my cake and wanted to eat it, too.  I think it works well in psychological suspense. That said, my future books will probably go back to third person.

What is your re-writing and editing process?  Do you let anyone read your work in progress before it goes to your editor?
 
My mom is my first reader.  She's honest about what works and what doesn't.  She reads the first draft, and then I go through an extensive checklist for the first edit.  Then my critique partner, author Marty Ambrose, reads the second draft.  Then I take her comments and a second checklist (with different things to look at) and go at it again.  I try to leave a few weeks between these edits so I'm fresh to the story.  Then I do one last line edit.

What keeps you going and motivated when life throws you a curveball?

Writing does!  Going through tough times, I always know my writing is my safe little world to go into.  I can control it (for the most part). 

Were you an avid reader as a child?  What did you like to read?

I always loved to read.  I read the Nancy Drew books and then V.C. Andrews and I devoured the short story collections that Alfred Hitchcock put together.  I also liked reading MAD Magazine, but I got terrible nightmares about Alfred E. Neumann!

Do you have time to read now?  What authors do you read?

I wish.  Most of my reading is research stuff.  Sometimes that can be fun and other times...well, not so much.  For my upcoming book, I got to read about slime molds and psychic elements, so that was interesting.  For this book, I read about angel investing, which is what the husband does, and that was really fascinating.  I contacted one of the authors who helped me with the research, too.  I've also been reading a lot of spiritual books, like Wayne Dyer and Sonia Choquette for personal fulfillment.

As for fiction, I mostly read (no surprise) suspense.  I love Heather Graham, Kay Hooper, Lisa Gardner, and for fun, Janet Evanovich.

What are you working on now?

I'm so excited about my next book, which is actually book one of a new series.  I've never written a series before, and I love the way I can weave the characters into the books.  It's all still very preliminary as far as dates and titles, but I can say that the series is a mix between Friends, X-Files, and Heroes.  The first book should come out in the Spring, 2009.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?  And how did you keep your spirits up until the first book was published?

I have an article at my website called "Keeping Your Chin Up in a Down Market."  And isn't it always a down market, according to "them," whoever "they" are.  Remember that wherever you are, there will be writers doing better than you and worse than you.  Bless them all, as we're all on the same journey.  And for those doing better, rejoice!  She sold her first book, he made the New York Times list, and if they can do it, so can you, my friends!

Anything special that you want to tell your readers about yourself?

I wish I'd had the interesting life some authors have before they got published.  I always wanted to write books and I knew I'd be published, so I didn't go to a university or start a career doing anything else.  Then again, maybe I'm lucky that way. 


© Interview 2007 by BetweenYourSheets.com

---

< Prev		Next >