Interview with Nancy Henderson

As fall descends upon us, the nights are cooling off, but the romances aren’t. Today, we have Nancy Henderson joining us to talk about her newest release, Ghost of a Chance, a wonderful story blending contemporary with historical and paranormal. Welcome to Coffee Time Romance and thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to join us, Nancy.

To kick things off, could you tell us a little about yourself?

Charissa, thanks so much for interviewing me. Well, as you know, I’m a writer of historical, contemporary, and paranormal romance. “Ghost Of A Chance” is my first paranormal release and also the first in a series of heavenly and sometimes not so heavenly heroes. I have to admit I was a little nervous about switching genres and also combining genres, but I had a lot of fun with it. I ended up loving the world building that paranormals allows. It actually allows more freedom for the writer, which was something I never expected.

You’ve written stories set in the American Colonial period. Do you prefer that genre?  Is there another era you would like to venture into?

I love the American Colonial period. So much so that I wonder if I wasn’t reincarnated from the time period. I love how tough yet vulnerable our country and the people who created it were. I’ve written a few historicals set in the 1800s. I’m also working on a contemporary romance and a historical set in my hometown in 1858.

You mentioned on your website that your muse doesn’t like chaos. How do you prevent that from happening and how do you work through the chaotic moments?

I’m not sure if I have a muse, I think it’s just my own neat-freak tendencies that get to me. I like everything in order before I write, which is probably why I mostly write at night. However, I can’t always have that. Life does tend to get in the way a lot, and that’s when I write in spurts such as before going to work, lunch hours, in waiting rooms, etc. I wish I wrote faster. I need to write faster, and that’s something I’m trying to work through with techniques like letting the vacuuming go for one day, not dusting obsessively, etc.

Every author has a best and worst part of the writing process. What is your favorite aspect and what do you like the least?

My best part of the writing process is beginnings. I love beginnings, that point where I have absolutely no idea how the book will end and where I’m still learning and getting surprised by my characters’ actions. The least thing I like is the business side of writing, but I think all writers would agree with me there. As far as the actual writing, I really dislike having to tie up all the loose ends at the end. Sometimes I’ve made so many problems for my characters I simply can’t get them out of their messes!

When did you know you needed to become a writer?

I think I always knew I needed to be a writer. My father is a storyteller, but he never wrote them down, and in that way I feel that writing is two parts: storytelling and the actual writing. One can’t survive without the other. As a kid I was creating my friends’ make-believe characters for them.

What makes you continue on writing?

I have so many stories to tell, more than I’ll ever complete in a lifetime. I think that’s what keeps me going as a writer. And the fact that I’m just too stubborn to give up.

If you could live the life of any of your characters, which would it be?

I think I would like to live a little bit in all of my characters, except Nathan McGraw because he’s dead. (lol!)

Describe the perfect day off for you.

The perfect day off, that’s easy. I’d go to the mall. I’m a hopeless mall rat. I’d hit Borders for their books, coffee, and cheese pretzels. Then a movie, then food that isn’t good for me at the food court. Oops! I guess I should have said a full day of writing where the words are flowing and everything is coming out poetry, although I’ve never had one of those days!

For those not familiar with your work, which book would you recommend starting with and why?

There aren’t any of my books I’d recommend reading in any order, really. Blackbird and Heart’s Bondage are my two Native American romances and their settings are similar. My editor wanted them released close together as a set but not necessarily a series, meaning that you don’t have to read one to understand what’s happening in the other. So I’d say read whatever your taste prefers, oh and I love hearing from readers.

Thank you for joining us today at Coffee Time Romance, Nancy. Are there any last tidbits you’d like to share with our readers?

Thank you for having me. I’d like to remind readers that my paranormal “Ghost Of A Chance” is now available as an e-book from www.lindenbayromance.com It will be available in print in February 2007.

Coffee Time Romance wants to thank Ms. Henderson for chatting with us today, Thank You.  WOW Another fantastic Interview!