1st Blogoversary: Interview with Elizabeth Camden & Giveaway!

Elizabeth, welcome to Hardcover Feedback! Thank you SO much for being a part of my 1st Blogoversary Celebration! What was the first book you ever wrote about and was it ever published?
Yup. I dashed my first book off in a couple of months, had a ton of offers, then picked the best. (Cough). Actually, my first three manuscripts are under my bed and will NEVER be allowed to escape into the world. I think manuscripts four and five were pretty good…..but they were contemporary romances, and no one was interested. It was manuscript number six that finally hit, and became The Lady of Bolton Hill. I am actually grateful for the warm-up books. Looking back, most of them suffer from typical newbie writer problems. I am grateful I was able to go through those growing pains in private!

Do you have a favorite character or one that is especially close to your heart?
I suppose that would be Bane, the young villain from my first novel, The Lady of Bolton Hill. One tip for writers: when you need a character to fill a particular role (villain, best friend, business rival, etc.) never go for the obvious. I needed a villain for The Lady of Bolton Hill, and the first image that sprang to mind was a big, brutish criminal who scares children and kicks cats…. so I rejected the obvious and went for the complete opposite. I made Bane an angelically gorgeous and recklessly charming teenager who is already well on his way to a life of crime. His wicked charm made him a lot more frightening. Readers seem to agree….and still fell in love with him even though he needed a good swift kick in the pants. I’ve gotten more fan mail about Bane than everyone else combined.

What is the best gift you have ever received and who gave it to you?
A college education…provided by my parents. I don’t think I fully appreciated the magnitude of that gift until I grew up a little more and learned to understand the huge financial sacrifices my parents took on my behalf…..as well as the launching pad that college gave me. That was a biggie!

Other than yourself, who is your favorite author?
Sorry, Megan….impossible to answer! I go through phases. Right now I am wildly devoted to Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series. This is romantic urban fantasy (and definitely not G-rated, for those who prefer to stick to the Inspirational stuff.) I love it because of the sparking dialog and the crackling tension between the heroine and the mysterious Jericho Barrons. In recent years I’ve been through Ken Follett binges, devoured Francine Rivers, and will buy anything by Lisa Klaypas…..but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to pick a favorite.


If a TV show was based on your life, what would the theme song be and why?
Can I say Paperback Writer? It’s so cliché, but that’s where I am at these days!

Are you an early bird or a night owl?
My husband and I both get up around 4am, and are both zonked on the couch by 9pm. We’re early birds!

What is your favorite TV show and/or movie?
This is really bad…..but I like Cops. I work around 50 hours per week at my day job, then I put in another 10 or 20 writing. I just don’t have the mental energy for anything too demanding, and somehow, at the end of a busy, stressful, and exhausting day…..I just love zoning out in front of Cops, which I think is probably the TV-equivalent of salty junk-food.

You are given an unlimited budget to plan your ultimate party. Please describe it (i.e. Where would it take place? Who would be on the guest list? What would be on the menu? Would there be a theme? etc.).
My husband and I are dull, dull homebodies, so it would probably be only about ten or fifteen close friends and family in our backyard (which I must confess has a really terrific view of the Florida countryside). We’d have good bread, cheese, and a couple bottles of nice wine. Bill says that one of the reasons he married me is that I’m easy to please. I suppose that’s true!

What are you currently working on?
You remember that character ‘Bane’ I spoke of at the beginning of this interview? I am pleased to announce that he is all grown up and ready to star in a book of his own. It took me a while to come up with a heroine as strong and interesting as Bane, and yet still come across as highly sympathetic. Against the Tide is an entirely a stand-alone book, so readers will be able to hop right in, even if they didn’t read The Lady of Bolton Hill. Look for it in October of 2012.

Where can people connect with you online?
I blog at http://elizabethcamden.com/blog where I ramble on about things related to the romance genre, the publishing world, and because I am a librarian by day, I can’t help but post pictures of mouth-watering libraries. I hope you’ll swing by!

Thank you so much Elizabeth for being on Hardcover Feedback!

GIVEAWAY:

Elizabeth has graciously offered to give away a copy of either The Lady of Bolton Hill or The Rose of Winslow Street - winner's choice!! To enter, complete the mandatory entries and then whichever extra entries you want in the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to the US ONLY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway