Monday, February 19, 2007

Make-Believe Monday with Carly Phillips


Carly, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript
you’re working on now.

Carly: HOT PROPERTY, a follow up to the three Hot Zone stories, Hot Stuff, Hot Number and Hot Item. HOT PROPERTY tells John Roper's story, a character introduced in earlier books and his happily ever after with Amy Stone who readers met in Hot Item. It's a fun story that revisits old friends. Roper's in a career slump (think A-Rod on the New York Yankees) and everyone in his family from his soon to be married sister, his jealous, do-nothing brother, and his mother want something from him - from money to his time and advice. He's burnt out and fried and needs to focus on getting his groove back before he has no career left at all. Amy Stone is his agent, Spencer Atkins' niece and unbeknownst to Roper, she's going to lead the party planning division of the Hot Zone. Some matchmaking and heavy duty chemistry bring these two opposites together - but can they make a relationship work? HOT PROPERTY will be a 2008 release.

Debra:
Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?

Carly: It isn't easy! Days and weeks can go by when I think the well is dry. I believe that sometimes I need to completely empty my mind - either first thing in the morning before I get out of bed or on a vacation when I can put the stress of carpool, dinners, driving and life out of my mind - then the work flows and I pray it continues to!

Debra:
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Carly: Yes! I always say that by page 100 or so, all the elements come together, from the characters and their conflicts and how they tie together to the plot and the secondary characters. At that point the reader is fully invested in all parts of the story. Prior to that point I hope I am taking the reader on an interesting journey they'll want to keep reading.

Debra:
If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?

Carly: Lucky me! I'm already doing exactly what I love!!!!!

Carly, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Thank you! This has been fun ;)
Carly

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