Welcome, today we are talking with Bobbi Groover! I would like to thank you for taking time out of your busy writing schedule to answer a few questions. First, let’s delve into who you are. Some of the questions may be untraditional but you’d be surprised at what readers connect to, and sometimes the simplest ‘I can relate to that’ grabs their interest where nothing else can.
Can you share a little something about Bobbi Groover that’s not mentioned in your bio on your website?
The biggest surprise might be that my first published novel was a coming-of-age story. It received many 5-star reviews and was used in several school districts. The most fun was being asked to be ‘visiting author’ and introduce the students to the joy and excitement of writing. They wanted me to write a sequel but my writing journey took an unexpected tangent. You see, I’m the quintessential insomniac, so I read a lot of romance paperbacks from the library to fill the long nights. As I finished each one I told my husband, “I could have written this.” Finally he retorted, “Prove it. Sit down and write one.” My husband’s dare was the impetus I needed to take the plunge. I have three published romances, all of which earned 5-star reviews and several first place and runner-up awards.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. I have a vivid memory of sitting in an empty stall of the stable on my Grandmother’s estate as a precocious five-year-old. I traced the outline of a horseshoe in the dust of the floor and imagined it was my pony in that stall. I stood and pretended to nuzzle the equine. On the wall I spied the empty water bucket and glanced inside. A ferocious giant spider (remember, I was only five) seemed to glare at me amidst the silk of the web. I went back to the house and drew pictures that told the story of the unlikely friendship between the equine and arachnid, although I believe I used ‘pony’ and ‘spider.’ My mother once told me my story was quite detailed and imaginative. From then on I was off and running, filling drawers with stories.
Describe what your writing routine looks like. Are you disciplined with a strict schedule or do you have to be in the mood?
I can’t say I have a set schedule for writing. I have a set schedule for riding and that is truly where the ideas flow. There’s something about the gentle rocking of my horse’s gait that takes me back to another time and another place. I tend to write when the ideas strike me, be that ten minutes or ten hours. For me the ideas cannot be forced, they have to flow. If I am struggling, I simply write whatever comes to mind without worrying about spelling, or grammar or searching for just the ‘right word.’ If the idea is down on paper the rest will follow in due time, to be edited and rewritten later. Without getting the ideas on paper, I find they are often lost out into space. I sleep with pen and paper by my bed because when my characters become so real that they gab with one another during the night, I have to write down what they say or I’ll never remember it by the morning.
What does writing do for you? Is it fun, cathartic, do you get emotional?
For me writing is a joy. It is often cathartic and yes, I get very emotional because I never start writing until I know my characters as well as I know myself. So, in a way, their life experiences become mine. Many of the good and bad bombardments of life (many of which are out of our control) make me dive into my writing, into a world where I am omnipotent. I can make the world go my way. I infuse the emotions from daily life into the scenes of my story. The year I wrote my second romance, The Inn at Little Bend I lost three people I loved dearly, and I retreated to my studio. It seemed that only there could I make sense of things and force the capricious fates to bend to my will. In the story the main characters were struggling with their own losses, searching for the realization that they, too, could survive the anguish. In the end the book wrote itself. This is one way I use to cope with everyday stresses and bring realism and substance to my writing. By the same token, when there is joy, I write the charming scenes. The emotion transfers from the imagination to the fingers and onto the page.
What inspires you?
My inspiration has been the same throughout the writing of all my books…my horses. They are my inspiration, my passion and my pets, which is why they play key roles in all my stories. One inventive way that works for me to visualize my characters is to search the public domain for a lookalike of my hero/heroine. I look for the features that I have drawn of them in my head. When I find him/her I actually frame the pictures and use them while I write. When I am in the hero’s head, I speak to the heroine’s picture and vice versa. It keeps me on track and my point of view accurate. At 2am it’s really fun when they start talking back! I know my characters have really come to life when the two pictures start talking to one another, and I am just a reporter struggling to scribble what they are saying. This phenomenon actually happened to me while writing my first romance, Season of the Shadow. The story took a turn that was not in my outline, and I had not imagined. I liked what my characters had done so I wrote the scene their way.
What have you found most challenging about it?
The biggest challenge is people’s reaction to it. Quite often I have been at a social gathering, meeting new people, and someone asks what I do with my days. (Odd question but people actually do ask.) When I tell them I’m a novelist I can see the interest in their eyes. However when I tell them I write romance, the interest dies and the smile fades. Their expression clearly states that somehow writing ‘romance’ is not really writing. “Oh, you write trashy stuff.” With that statement I have been summarily dismissed. “No,” I respond to their blatant disinterest. “I write romance interwoven with an intriguing story.” Depending on the other person’s expression I’ve sometimes even continued. “Are my novels fine classical literature? No. Actually they are fun, light reading, but with a powerful story and irresistible, heart stopping characters that I hope will grip you to the very last page.”
I find it curious that non-writers have no idea what actually goes into creating something from nothing, especially something as intangible as imagination. For example: a few years ago I had to take care of sick horses and sick dogs. It’s a very big deal for an animal lover like myself. As with the elderly and babies (I’ve been a caregiver for both) the doctors and vets are always concerned with ‘intestinal fortitude.’ When I was with my horse, I joked with one of the other boarders that my fifth book was destined to be titled, ‘Waiting For Poop!’ She laughed and said it should be easy for me because I had already written four novels. Apparently she was under the mistaken impression that authors think up an idea, sit down, start with chapter one and stand up after typing the words, ‘the end.’ As I spoke with other non-writers they, too, thought creating believable characters in intriguing situations was as easy as following a recipe for apple pie. They don’t realize that the characters become so real to the author that I, at least, actually miss them when the story is finished. It is for this reason that several of my characters have made an appearance in each of my romances.
What are your pet peeves?
My biggest pet peeve is people who have no respect—for other people, for animals and/or for the environment. We are merely the present keepers of this life. Those who disrespect the environment and the living, breathing creatures who reside here jeopardize the future generations who will be left with the shards.
Give us one thing on your bucket list.
Having one of my novels optioned for a movie would be a dream come true for me. Making it to the Hallmark level would be an honor. Of course, making the famous list of the New York Times is tucked in that bucket as well.
What would readers find surprising about you?
My readers might be surprised to find that I studied for a Masters degree in drama. I truly enjoyed every minute and did summer theater with several troupes.
If you could go to heaven, who would you visit?
I would make a beeline to my BFF…my mother, the most selfless, generous person who ever walked the face of this earth.
Please tell us a little about, INSIDE THE GREY.
Inside The Grey is a story of loyalty and friendship no matter what the cost. It recounts a perilous journey, a race against time to rescue those they love. Staged against the backdrop of antebellum American, it is also a story of reflection on a way of life. As the conspiracy unfolds, seemingly unrelated incidents have the characters questioning whether their way of life should continue just because it’s the way things have always been.
What was the hardest challenge writing this book?
The hardest challenge was typing as fast as the ideas formed. INSIDE THE GREY literally jumped into my head during one particularly misty day. I snapped a picture of the pasture and the entire story played out in my head. I looked at the scene and saw my characters riding ‘into the grey.’ I suddenly knew who they were, where they were headed, and the crises that awaited them. During the writing process, the working title changed to ‘Inside The Grey’ but my readers will have to savor the book to find out why.
What kind of research did you have to do?
The mid 1800’s is the time framework for all my romances. Before my mother died, she and I took the dog and travelled to the states where the scenes happened. We visited county seats and perused old newspapers, walked historical areas, and graveyards. Of course with the Internet today, all that traveling and reading can be accomplished with the slash of a keystroke (although not half as much fun). Sometimes I can’t achieve the ‘feel’ of some scenes from the Internet though. For example, I had a fire scene to write and so I visited the local fire marshal. Once I had convinced him that I wasn’t an arsonist and really did write romance (and he and the other firemen stopped laughing), we had a great discussion of how the fire scene could be accomplished with accuracy. As I left, I heard him telling the other firemen I was definitely going to be dinner conversation with his wife that night! I just smiled.
What in your opinion makes for good chemistry between your leading characters?
I think the first meeting of the leading characters starts with a bit of resistance on both of their parts. Slowly each character comes to discover respect and kindness in the other, possibly uncover a common goal. Over time one subtly helps heal the inner emotional conflicts of the other. But through it all, unplanned moments of humor add a touch of closeness and begin to build a relationship.
Any other works in progress?
The new story has the working title ‘TruDeceit’. Here’s a preview. In 1849 Rafe Buchanan returned home from California with a voluminous grin and voluminous wealth. But the coins fell from his hand when he found his home in ashes, his wife in the ground, and his son in the custody of an unknown couple. The full blurb is on my website. Readers will recognize several previous characters entering and exiting as the time frame has progressed twenty years, during the last three romances, into the middle1860’s. Several chapters have been written, and I know the general plot line. It required many hours of searching but I’ve found images to frame so my new hero, Rafe, and new heroine, Kuincy, are quickly developing into real people. The more I know them, their story will fill the pages.
Any advice for aspiring writers?
Storylines can spring from anywhere…a song on the radio, a conversation at a dinner party or the view from a ski lift chair. Best advice I could give…just write. Write for yourself. Write for the sheer joy of creating something from nothing. Remember, as the writer you are omnipotent and that’s a powerful feeling. When you are feeling sad, use that emotion to write sad scenes. Do the same with happiness. Those emotions will flow into your words and make scenes truly believable. Write the ideas that pop into your head. Don’t worry about the grammar or the spelling or searching for just the right word. All those things can come later. Don’t allow any of those things to stop the flow of ideas because, at least for me, if I don’t scribble the ideas, I lose them and many times they don’t come back. Then I’m left saying, “What was that thought I had? Geez…and it was such a great idea.” Keep pencil and paper by your bed for those magical ‘ah hah’ moments when your characters come alive and tell you how they want their story written. In the car or on my horse I simply use my voice recorder. Just scribble whenever the ideas flow and, before long, those ramblings will take shape.
Remember writers are painters…only we paint with words to create a scenario in the minds of our readers. Write what you know. Write what you are passionate about and that fervor will come through in your words. Remember these are your words, your creation. I find that when I let others read what I created, it’s as if I’m allowing them inside my head. Very hard on the ego. I’ve dealt with rejection letters from publishers. If you love writing, keep at it just for the sheer joy of ‘painting with words.’ There’s no steadfast rule of writing a story. Some writers write from beginning to end. I have a general outline of the story in my head and in notes but if a middle scene pops into my head, I write it and file it. Somehow there will be a segue in and out of that scene when I add it into the story.
Exciting news! I hear that you were just interviewed by ‘ReadersHouse’ Magazine, London, England, and that the interview will be online and in print in one of their upcoming issues. That’s so cool! How did that come about, and when can we expect to see it in print?
I was taken completely by surprise when they contacted me through my website. I immediately responded that I would be thrilled to be interviewed. I also asked how they found me from far away England. They responded that my name was recommended by a colleague. The interview is now live on their website. https://readershouse.co.uk/bobbi-groover-the-art-of-storytelling/ As you can imagine, I’m anxious to see the interview in print.
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