Welcome to Carolyn Crane on my blog today! She answered some tough questions, and I can’t wait to hear what she had to say. She’s also giving away an ebook of OFF THE EDGE to a random commenter. So be sure to comment!

First, a little about Carolyn and her books:

RITA-nominated OFF THE EDGE
SHE MAY BE HIS WORST ENEMY…For deadly secret agent Peter Macmillan, language is a weapon—one he uses to hunt criminals, destroy plots, and charm enemies. Seducing information out of a beautiful singer in a Bangkok hotel should be easy…except this particular singer has the power to destroy his cool façade, and with it, his last defense against a dark past.

HE MAY BE HER ONLY HOPE…He tricked her. He helped himself to her body and her secrets. He has enemies everywhere. Laney Lancaster should hate Peter, but when she discovers him shirtless, sweaty, and chained up in the hotel’s dungeon, all she can think about is freeing him. Because she knows what it’s like to be trapped and alone. And she could use a dangerous friend.

They might be wrong for each other, but the instant they join forces, Laney and Peter are plunged into an odyssey of hot sex and dark danger. To survive, they must trust each other with their lives—and their hearts.

Carolyn Crane writes romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and other tales of adventure and romance; she also writes erotic romance about bank robbers as Annika Martin. She lives in the American Midwest with her husband and two cats. During rare moments when she’s not at her computer, she can be found reading in bed, running, or helping animals.

http://authorcarolyncrane.com/

https://twitter.com/CarolynCrane

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolynCrane

Newsletter: http://carolynjeanjackson.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=f2412c16d838ecf6c1fe740a1&id=fc81556a81

What was your favorite part of writing OFF THE EDGE?
I enjoyed the playing with this relationship between these characters. My heroine is very artistic and into emotional honesty, and my hero is a spy who is all about deception and violence, but the place they meet is in language. They both love language and use it masterfully—it’s their battleground, but it’s also what connects them.

What is your favorite aspect of reading a novel?
I read in bed every night, and I just love the feeling of excitement when I have a book waiting for me that is really engrossing. And I know the world can just float away and I’ll be breathlessly caught up in a story. It’s such a luxury to me! So I guess that is just the same as a lot of people!!

Are you a plotter, a pantser, or both?
I’m both. I do a rough outline of events, and sometimes I jot down notes about ideas I have for scenes—some I use and some I don’t. So, I guess I’m a loose plotter. I usually know roughly how a book is going to end, but not always how I’ll get there. And, it sort of depends on the book. I’m a little more specific in my outline with my spy books, because they’re more complex, than with my Annika Martin hunky bank robber books, which are pretty much pantsed.

Do you have a certain theme in all of your novels?
Ooh, that is a good question. I tend to get attracted to themes of honesty and deception. Of being known for who you are, seen for who you are, accepted no matter what. Of flaws and obsessions becoming powers.

Do you have a specific writing style?
I think it can be hard for authors to say how they write. For example, I think I write dark as Carolyn Crane, but I don’t think I’m seen that way. I think my books are always a mixture of dark and light.

Do you ever use your life experiences in your novels?
Yes, I totally do. And I use people I know, too, but usually by the time I’ve finished a book, I’ve twisted everything around so much and loaded in so much made up stuff, nobody would ever know. And, I have a straight job as an advertising copywriter, which means I know a little bit about a whole lot of stuff, from how they make those reflective vests look so bright to how parking ramps are constructed to how people’s personalities relate to their choice of coffee shop. I find weird uses for a lot of that stuff.

Are you working on any projects right now?
I’m working on three projects! The next Undercover Associates (it’s about Thorne, and it has a secret baby in it). And another Taken Hostage by Hunky Bank Robbers book by my dirty-writing alter ego, Annika Martin. And a third top-secret project where one of my pen names is collaborating with another author.

Do you see writing as a career?
Oh, definitely. Well, it already is, considering my copywriter job, but I’m hoping to increase the hours I do fiction writing and decrease my copywriting. Which is one of the great things about a freelance gig.

If you had the career of your choice, what would you choose and why?
Author!! I would do this stuff full time! I love writing.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I’m a slow writer, so I’m really trying to get faster. I’m trying to understand why I write some books faster than others so I can write them ALL fast!! And I want to get better at working on characters, too. Better at writing from character on a first draft instead of stumbling around forever trying to figure characters out.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Read romance earlier. I was too uptight and I read difficult, boring books for too long. I was too hard on myself. I needed to have more fun. I feel like I went through a total Renaissance as a read and writer when I discovered romance. Why wasn’t I reading and writing this stuff all along?

Hey, Angela, thanks again for having me!! And I’m giving away a prize…an ebook copy of OFF THE EDGE to one random commenter…