Welcome to Romance Weekly!

One of the most amazing things I've discovered since starting to pursue writing romance seriously is the incredible support from other writers. I've met dozens of them online, and all have been unfailingly helpful and encouraging. Just last week I joined a blogging group called Romance Weekly. Each week we will answer three questions that give you a behind the scenes look at our writing—and give you a chance to discover your newest favourite author! Tell your friends and feel free to ask questions in the comments.

Thanks to those of you who've linked here from Carrie Elks' page. Here's my first post—and don't forget to link to the next author in this fun relay!

1. Who is your favourite author in your genre and why?

There are so many wonderful contemporary authors that I love to read. But if I define “favourite” as “the author that made you see things differently about reading and writing romance” it would have to be Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

SEP has been writing for decades, but I only discovered her a few years ago. I've since searched out all her titles and read them for both enjoyment and as a lesson in how to do it right. She is amazing at invoking emotions and making her characters flawed yet fascinating. A great example of this is AIN'T SHE SWEET. I didn't like either the heroine, Sugar Beth, or the hero, Colin, all that much to start. But they were such great, strong characters that I had to find out how they redeemed themselves.

2. What is your favourite book by them and why?

I'm not a crier, when it comes to books or movies, at least. I can always keep that one step away from totally immersing myself in the emotions of the story.

Not with SEP. She's made me tear up more than any other author. I remember the wrenching sense of loss she made me feel during one especially sweet scene in THIS HEART OF MINE. So, again, going with theme of “favourite” being a book that changed me, I would choose that one. THIS HEART OF MINE is book 5 in SEP's Chicago Stars football team series, and tells the story of Molly (half-sister of the owner) and Kevin (quarterback). One night together results in Molly getting pregnant. To avoid a public relations drama, they get married—extremely reluctantly. And then Molly has a miscarriage. The way their relationship grows is so organic, so compelling, that I hated to put it down.

3. What about their style inspires your writing?

I want my readers to feel as invested in the lives of my characters as I feel with SEP's characters. There are so many sub-genres of romance—paranormal, suspense, inspirational, YA—but all of them are defined by the characters, the people, in them. It's extremely difficult to describe how SEP does this—I'm sure it's mostly gut instincts that cannot be taught—but I also love the mechanics of her writing. Her descriptions are lyrical, her sense of pacing exquisite. Reading any of her work is a master course in writing.

Continue visiting with Romance Weekly Writers! Click here to learn how Susan Peterson Wisnewski answered these questions.