Sue-Ellen: Well, I am a pretty private person and after some extremely unpleasant and unwanted Internet exposure recently, I am becoming even more private. I have lived in many places, including 15 years spent in Europe, in the Bavarian capital, Munich. I now live in my homestate of Florida with my husband of twenty-some years and our little dog, a Jack Russell Terrier male. My background is with the airlines. I was a flight attendant for about twenty years, and used duty-trips and private ones to see the world and especially to explore the British Isles. I now write full-time and am very happy to be able to do so. My family background is Scottish and I am active in my own ancestral clan society. When I am not writing, I enjoy reading nonfiction research books on the medieval period and Scotland. I make annual research trips to Scotland and England, and use the time between trips to plan the next one. I enjoy peace, quiet, and solitude, and love classical music.

Donna: When did you decide to become an author and why did you choose to write romance?

Sue-Ellen: Unlike many authors who state "they wrote their first book in second grade," it was never my intent to write. I grew up with a great desire to see the world and accomplished that by becoming a flight attendant. I did, however, always write. I kept meticulous travel journals and would send lengthy letters to friends describing my adventures in foreign lands. After sending a letter to romance author Becky Lee Weyrich complimenting her book, ONCE UPON FOREVER, we became friends, and after a few years she encouraged me to try writing romance. I already loved the genre as a reader, and Becky claimed she "felt she was there with me" when she read my letters about my travels. That is what spurred her to urge me to write. I am greatly indebted to her.

Donna: How long did it take to sell your first book?

Sue-Ellen: Warner bought DEVIL IN A KILT (not my own title for the book) within three weeks after my agent sent the manuscript to them. DEVIL was my fourth completed manuscript. The first rests on a top closet shelf where it shall remain, the second was the book of my heart and I would love to revamp it someday and see it sell. The third is another book I truly love and hope to see sell someday. By the time I completed DEVIL, I'd been writing about four years.

Donna: Does your family support your writing?

Sue-Ellen: Yes. My husband is my most ardent supporter. Where I am quiet and prefer to avoid crowds, he is a true extrovert and is always meeting new people. He hands out my bookmarks, has my covers framed and on display in his office, etc. He is also very understanding about deadlines.

Donna: Where do you get ideas for your stories?

Sue-Ellen: Nothing moves me more than atmospheric places, and it is from them that my ideas come. I enjoy visiting castles and castle ruins, medieval battle sites, ruined abbeys, etc. When visiting such places, I walk around and absorb the atmosphere, listening until I capture the place's essence. If I am lucky, this is when the hero will appear to me with his story. I usually know the whole story right away, from start to finish, even the hero's name. So each of my books has a setting that I have personally visited and this helps me when writing; as soon as I place my hands on the keyboard, I remember back and am there again.

Donna: How long does it take you to write a story?

Sue-Ellen: I need six to eight months.

Donna: How much research do you do before writing? Where do you do most of your research?

Sue-Ellen: A lot. But that is by no means a chore since I love history, in particular the medieval period and Scottish history. These were my passions long before I even thought about writing, so I have been studying the period/setting most of my life and continue to do so. My special interest is the late 13th century through the mid-14th century. I believe a writer should be so well-versed in her chosen setting/time period, that when she writes, the words flow and she feels completely at home there. My research is an ongoing love affair and I am always striving to learn more. I use travel to my settings and books for research, never the Internet. My writing office is wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling research books on all imaginable topics pertaining to the medieval period and Scotland, and I enjoy this side of writing immensely.

Donna: Do you work from an outline?

Sue-Ellen: Not really, though I do know the story from start to finish before I write the first line. Once you sell, you must write a synopsis so your editor can decide if she wants a particular project or not. I view such a synopsis as a roadmap but allow for detours that may turn up along the way. Characters take on a life of their own during the writing process and often lead the writer on a different path than she'd originally intended. This can be magical and a lot of fun when it happens.

Donna: Do your characters ever try to take over the story and rewrite their scenes?

Sue-Ellen: (Smile) See above. Somewhere in the process there comes a moment when the characters become so real they do indeed seem to dictate the story. Or perhaps I should say something we may have planned for them no longer seems right and they instinctively show us what will work.

Donna: Do you ever find your characters in situations that are hard to write them out of?

Sue-Ellen: Thank goodness this has not yet happened to me.

Donna: Do you ever use personal experiences when writing your stories?

Sue-Ellen: Yes. Since I have spent so much time visiting the places I write about, I often recall my own impressions of a place when I describe the setting, and a little part of me is inside each character, too. My own likes and dislikes are in there as well, as anyone who knows me well should be able to recognize. For instance, I love dogs and the little dog, Bodo, in KNIGHT, was inspired by my own Jack Russell Terrier male, Em. The dog in DEVIL, Mauger, was inspired by a stray my family rescued when I was a little girl. His name was Spot.

Donna: Have you ever found yourself with a case of "writer's block" while in the middle of a story? If so, how do you handle this - what helps you get beyond this problem?

Sue-Ellen: I have not yet experienced writer's block and am not wholly sure I believe in it. I have had situations that have lamed me and kept me from writing for a few days, but they were caused by my upset with certain situations and not by a lack of knowing what to write next. For instance, DEVIL received a very warm reception and I was blessed not to see anything negative about that book for a long time. When I did finally see something nasty, it came at the worst possible time: on the morning of my birthday when I discovered a scathing reader commentary about the book on Amazon. It had been posted by a very young girl and was extremely negative. She ended her commentary by saying she assumed DEVIL was an "experimental first book" and maybe she'd try a future book of mine for that reason. I have since been shredded far worse on one or two online romance sites that are well-known among authors for being snide, and with each such "hit" I reel a bit for a few days and can't write. I recently had quite a "fire-bath" and since then am finally developing a thicker skin, thank goodness. Those experiences have caused me to take certain measures, one being that I no longer peek at online message boards. An ostrich-head-in-the-sand approach, I know, but I can't afford to let such things cost me precious deadline time, so I avoid those places where I am fairly sure I will be met with unpleasantness.

Donna: What is the hardest part of writing a story?

Sue-Ellen: Not the writing at all, but the waiting for reviews and reader feedback. I have great difficulties with this side of being published. I disliked taking tests in school, never entered RWA's plethora of unpublished writer contests for the same reasons. Just the thought that my book is being read by someone whose sole intent is to analyze it and post their opinion on it somewhere, scares the heebie-jeebies out of me and colors my anticipation of each new release.

Donna: What is the funniest thing that has happened related to your writing?

Sue-Ellen: Probably when I did an online interview like this and wrote DEVIL IN A KILT as DEVIL IN A KLIT. Since I enjoy writing hot books, this particular typo struck me as hilarious. Naturally, I contacted the person in charge of posting the interview as soon as I caught the error, and she, too, had a good laugh over it.

Donna: What has been your favorite question or comment by your fans?

Sue-Ellen: Since atmosphere is so important to me, I am always very pleased when readers tell me they feel as if they have "been to" my storyworld, or when they claim they felt they could "see" the story unfolding almost as if they were watching a movie.

Donna: What is your least favorite question from fans?

Sue-Ellen: "What is your book about?" It is next to impossible for me to squeeze an answer to this question into a few brief lines, plus I do not like talking about future books (before they are in print). This is one reason I appreciate having an agent; I was never good at pitching and am very relieved not to have to do so anymore.

Donna: Both your heroines, Linnet and Isolde, are strong women. Is there some of you in either or both of these characters?

Sue-Ellen: Definitely. They share quite a bit of my own likes and dislikes. For instance, I loath flash, glitter, rudeness, and brash people. Both Linnet and Isolde place high value on the things important to me and little to no value on showiness, which I am allergic to. To me, true beauty lies beneath the skin and a good heart is worth all the gold in the world. My heroines reflect these core beliefs/my outlook on life.

Donna: Duncan Mackenzie and Donall the Bold are wonderful heroes. How did they come into existence for you? Do they just "show up" in your mind?

Sue-Ellen: Yes, they just "showed up" in my mind. As stated above, the heroes always come to me when I visit the places that then become a book's setting. I see them there, and they always appear full-blown. My books are all about the heroes and I even think of them as being the "hero's book." I love the Alpha male: super-sexy, dark, and dashingly handsome. So, they, too, are a reflection of my own personal tastes.

Donna: Is there a connection between DEVIL IN A KILT and KNIGHT IN MY BED?

Sue-Ellen: No, not at all. KNIGHT is the first of a trilogy about the MacLeans. My third book, BRIDE OF THE BEAST, out from Warner Books in January 2003, is connected to DEVIL, though. It is about Sir Marmaduke, who was Duncan's best friend in DEVIL. I never intended to write his book, but so many readers wrote asking for him to have a happy ending, too, that Warner asked me to write his book. It will be released before books two and three in my MacLean trilogy.

Donna: In DEVIL IN A KILT, you put the little boy Robbie through some hurtful situations. Is it hard to write difficult scenes for characters you care about?

Sue-Ellen: No, because I know that whatever difficulties they must face will make them all the more strong by the book's end, and because I know they will be happy by then, too. I do "feel" with them, though. Absolutely. I feel every emotion my characters go through and will either laugh, smile, or get teary-eyed when writing a scene. If I don't feel the emotion, a reader won't either.

Donna: In KNIGHT IN MY BED, the consummation of the first love scene spans three chapters. How do you decide how a love scene will play out?

Sue-Ellen: I let the characters dictate the tone of love scenes. Naturally, I know the love scenes will be hot because I love them that way, but exactly what the characters do and how it plays out comes not from me but from them. Silly as that may sound. By the time I reach the point in the book for a love scene, the hero and heroine have very real personalities, and I try to "listen" to them and write those scenes as best as I can in accordance to who they are as "people." KNIGHT is a shade or two sexier than DEVIL but, to me, anything less hot would not have suited Donall and Isolde. Donall, especially, "demanded" hot love scenes, and whatever it may be called, I just instinctively know (from them) what they want or do not want to do. It's a magical process and I truly enjoy writing these scenes.

Donna: The secondary characters in your books take on a life of their own and make us care about what happens to them. Do you have plans to write about any of them?

Sue-Ellen: Thank you! The secondaries are important to me and I am so moved when readers write to me asking about them. That is how Sir Marmaduke came to have a book of his own, as I said above. I have plans for quite a few of them: Iain in KNIGHT will be the hero of my next MacLean book, and Amicia, the sister, will be the third book in my MacLean trilogy. After that, I have a book for Robbie, the little boy in DEVIL, and later, a trilogy about the MacKinnons from KNIGHT.

Donna: How do you know when a character will have a story of their own?

Sue-Ellen: I never really considered this until I received so many reader requests for Sir Marmaduke to get his own book. That so many readers cared so much about him really touched my heart, though I imagine I will get a sound toasting online about his name. It was chosen for a good and valid reason: he was named for a very real and valiant English knight of the times, and I will mention the real Sir Marmaduke in the book's acknowledgment as well as post a tribute to him on my website closer to BEAST's release date.

With other books, thanks to the experience with Sir M, I now keep a good eye on secondaries and just instinctively know which ones readers may care to see again. Iain in KNIGHT is one such character and I am getting quite a few reader letters asking about him.

Donna: You used an element of the paranormal in both books; is this an area of interest to you?

Sue-Ellen: Good sleuthing on your part. (Wink) Yes, the paranormal is the third of my great passions: Scotland, the medieval period, and the paranormal. I've spent a great deal of time visiting (and staying overnight in) places reputed to be haunted, mostly while on trips in the UK, and have seen, heard, and felt some very unusual things while doing so. It's a hobby of mine, and I enjoy all aspects of the paranormal.

Donna: Why did you choose to set your books in Scotland?

Sue-Ellen: Because I believe we should take the adage "write what you know" a step further and write "what we love." Nothing moves me more than Scotland and the medieval period. I probably know enough of the craft and how to research to write, say, a Western-set romance, but my heart would not be in it and that would definitely show. I am passionate about my setting and time period, and I hope that passion comes through in my books. I do not want to write anything else.

Donna: Are you pleased with the covers of your books? Do you have much influence in the design of your covers?

Sue-Ellen: Yes, I am pleased with them. No, I do not have any influence in titles or cover design. I was not wild about the title of the first book, but was very pleased to have John DeSalvo on the cover. He looks exactly as I envisioned Duncan, and I am sure his being on the cover helped attract his fans to the book. That was a definite plus for me with a new and unknown name on the book's spine. I like KNIGHT's title because it fits the book's premise and I think it is cute, and I love the cover. When I knew they wanted to do a medieval four-poster, I sent the art department a selection of photos I'd taken of such beds while on my trips to Scotland/England, and the bed they chose was my favorite. It stands in a bedchamber in the Haunted Tower of Warwick Castle in Warwickshire, England, and having actually seen and touched the real bed, this cover is special to me.

As for influence, I am afraid I have none whatsoever at this early stage of my career. So far, my titles and covers have been chosen by my editor and marketing. I have no idea what BEAST's cover will be like, for instance, and am looking forward to learning what the design will be.

Donna: I know that your next book will be about Marmaduke. Can you tell us a little about his story?

Sue-Ellen: Ahhh ... this is what I don't like to do. I am superstitious about discussing a book before it is on the shelves. There is an excerpt for BEAST in the back of KNIGHT, and if you've seen that, you will know that Duncan and Linnet confront Sir M and ask him to champion Linnet's favorite sister. He does, of course, but what happens and how it unfolds is something I'd rather not discuss.

Donna: Any hints about future books?

Sue-Ellen: Well, I am currently on deadline for Iain's book which will be my fourth. After that, it is Amicia, as I said. Then Duncan's son, Robbie, and then a trilogy about the MacKinnons from KNIGHT. I will never make the move away from Scottish medievals as that is where my heart lies. I have no desire to write contemporaries. I would someday enjoy writing paranormals, though. But only in addition to the medievals, not as a replacement. And if I do venture into this genre, the books would be set in Scotland with strong ties to medieval Scotland. I would love to have a career similar to Lynn Kurland who writes historicals, time travels, and ghost heroes. That is my ultimate goal and what I am working toward.

Donna: What kind of books do you read for pleasure? Who are some of your favorite authors?

Sue-Ellen: I take my pleasure reading from nonfiction research books on Scotland and the medieval period or the paranormal. These books fill my nights and I devour them. My fiction reading has become next to zilch since I sold because so much of my time goes to my own writing. When I do read fiction, it is usually something very different from what I write: I enjoy Patricia Oliver's Regencies, for example, and British-set cozy mysteries such as M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin and Hamish MacBeth series, or Sharon McCrumb's British-set mysteries.

Donna: How does the internet affect you as an author?

Sue-Ellen: Oh boy. To me, the Internet is a two-edged sword. I love being able to interact and communicate with readers, especially those on my mailing list. I could never do so without e-mail, so I greatly value this aspect of the Internet. I do not use the Internet to research as I prefer books - a personal research library in my writing office - to perusing the 'Net. On the other side, I believe the Internet has a dark underseam and my recent experience of being shredded on a particular romance online site underscored that belief. It must have been much easier for authors of a few decades ago and I envy them in this regard. I am a very private person and the unpleasantness I faced recently felt very much like having my dirty undies examined in public. It was excruciating and has made me withdraw quite a bit. I never post on online message boards, and have taken a lesson from the experience and no longer even peek at them. I can't afford to lose precious deadline time because I stumbled over something nasty online. Everyone says a writer must have thick skin, but the very nature of creative people leaves most of us thin-skinned, and I am still too new at this to have an elephant hide. Such online bashing feels like being hit in the gut by a freight train, so I am avoiding such distress by withdrawing and staying away from those sites/message boards.

Donna: What is the best way that we as readers can help to promote new authors such as yourself?

Sue-Ellen: Word of mouth. If a reader enjoys a writer's book, they can tell others about it. And they should definitely drop a line to the author telling them so. Such reader mail is more appreciated than I can say. When I was bashed recently, the only thing that kept me going was reading and re-reading all the good reader letters (and good reviews) that I'd received.

Donna: Do you have any advice for the aspiring authors here at RBL?

Sue-Ellen: Several things: Never give up. Write what you are personally most passionate about. And most important, give yourself permission to write bad copy. Too many beginning writers angst over the first few chapters, the first few pages, and they never move on and complete the manuscript. And that is self-defeating. It's very important to get it down. Once you do, you go back and polish, but you won't get anywhere if you don't first get it down. Only then do you have something to work with.

Donna: Anything else you would like to say?

Sue-Ellen: Just that readers can contact me through my website. (See below) I have a mailing list, and the form to join it is in the OF NOTE section of my website. I answer all reader mail personally and maintain good contact with my mailing list readers - my special readers, as I like to think of them.

Donna: Do you have anything you would like to say or questions you would like ask the readers here at RBL?

Sue-Ellen: Again, only to take a minute to write an author and tell them when you enjoyed a book. Hearing from a pleased reader means so very much, and has the power to negate the bad things like a nasty review or online fire-storm. Otherwise, thank you so much for interviewing me. I appreciate it very much.

Sue-Ellen, I would like to thank you, on behalf of everyone at RBL Romantica, for taking time from your busy schedule to do this interview with us. We have enjoyed learning more about you. We hope that one day you will change your mind and join us on our Message Board. We are looking forward to a great future with many, many new stories from you.

~Donna~



Ketchup
August 2003

Donna: Sue-Ellen, our original interview with you was in May 2002. Since then, we have enjoyed reading Sir Marmaduke's story in BRIDE OF THE BEAST. Your newest book, MASTER OF THE HIGHLANDS, has just been released. Can you tell us a little about it?

Sue-Ellen: MASTER OF THE HIGHLANDS is Iain MacLean's story. He was the hero's brother in KNIGHT IN MY BED, and I was sorry to let him go because life had not been too kind to him in that book. As readers who met him in KNIGHT may recall, he has a hot temper. MASTER opens on the anniversary of his first wife's demise when, in grief, he inadvertently sets fire to the family chapel. He is sent on a journey of penance and during his trek across the land, he meets his one true love, a very strong-willed lady on an unusual journey of her own.

The book was great fun to write because it allowed me to revisit Devorgilla, the meddlesome crone from KNIGHT who also helps me with my website and my newsletters. And sending Iain on a journey across Scotland let me weave in special places I have visited on my own trips there: Glasgow Cathedral, Dunkeld Cathedral in beautiful Perthshire, and even an ancient yew tree believed to be thousands of years old. I've enjoyed a picnic beneath the branches of that very tree, the Fortingall yew. There is a very atmospheric little medieval chapel ruin beside it and the whole place is just extraordinary. So I enjoyed sending my hero and heroine to these special places I've visited and been touched by.

Donna: You've just returned from a trip to Scotland. Can you tell us about your trip? Did you bring back any new recipes to share or ideas for more Highland romance?

Sue-Ellen: Sure. This was a wonderful trip, maybe the best I've ever had. I go to Scotland twice a year and usually solo because I enjoy the independence. I always fly into Glasgow, rent a car, and then drive straight up through the Great Glen to Inverness where I have friends. After Inverness, I head out to explore, and my main destination this time was Scotland's far north. It's the most remote region of Great Britain, is quite empty and of such stunning beauty it steals your breath at first glance. A wild country of countless lochs, great windswept hills, and rugged coastline. I put over 1,500 miles on my rental car this trip and probably walked six to eight miles a day as well. There was so much to see. Everything grips the imagination. The atmosphere is best described as ethereal and mystical. So, yes, I brought back lots of new story ideas and inspiration.

Here I am high above beautiful Loch Maree in the West Highlands. I think this shot shows pretty much how very happy I am when there. That is why I like it so much. Sigh ... No place speaks to my heart and soul more, and when I am not there, I swear it feels as if I am only half alive.


I also made my usual tribute visit to Eilean Donan Castle, Duncan's castle in DEVIL IN A KILT. There is a charming village called Dornie nearby and I always stay there a few nights. I like walking around Eilean Donan late at night and looking up at the ramparts, hoping to catch a glimpse of Duncan and Sir Marmaduke standing up there, looking down at me. Sometimes I almost believe I see them there, too.

From there, I went back to Inverness, and then eventually made my way south again, to Glasgow and home. I am already counting the days until I can go back. That'll be a quick week-long visit to Inverness in December, and then another extended visit in April - May 2004. And, yes, it is my goal to eventually spend part of the year there. Definitely. I live and breathe to be over there.

Donna: We would also like to know what is new in your life. Any thing you would like to share?

Sue-Ellen: Nothing new. My life really is pretty routine. I am always on deadline and always have the next trip to Scotland dangling in front of my nose like a big, juicy carrot. That's about it: I write, go over there, come back and write again.

Anything to share? Well, yes, I do have some new Scottish recipes and they'll be posted on my Website soon. Lots of other Scottish-themed updates are being added as well. Photos and info on places I've visited, places that appear as settings in my books, Scottish things that are mentioned in the books, too. I've sent the photos and texts to my Webmistress and hopefully she'll have everything up shortly.

I am currently on deadline for WEDDING FOR A KNIGHT, which is Amicia MacLean's book. She is the sister of Donall and Iain, the heroes of KNIGHT and MASTER, and appears briefly in both books. WEDDING's excerpt can be found in the back of MASTER. After Amicia's book, I go on deadline for Robbie MacKenzie's book. Readers who enjoyed DEVIL IN A KILT might be pleased to know Robbie is getting his own story. He was Duncan's little boy in DEVIL and I am so looking forward to writing his book. It is always fun to revisit Duncan and Sir M, and I have some very heartwarming surprises in store for them all.

Otherwise, I will be at RT in Kansas City and am looking forward to meeting readers. I mean that sincerely, and would like to encourage anyone who wishes to meet me to just walk right up to me and say hello. Or look for me at RT's Gabfest on Wednesday, October 15th, at 11:30 a.m. My topic will be "The Appeal of Those Kilted Men" ( a topic near and dear to my heart). You can also find me on a panel hosted by Ann Peach on Friday, October 17th from 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. It's called "Choose A Winning Subgenre" and the other participating authors are Katherine Greyle, Pam Binder, Christina Skye, and Robin Schone.

For now, thank you so much for this interview. I appreciate your ongoing interest in my books and my career.

Sue-Ellen's Website



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