Read some interviews from past editions: CJ Love August, 2009 DeAnn Smallwood June, 2009 V.S. Meszaros April, 2009 Nikki Poppen February, 2009 Sue Gibson December, 2008 Elisabeth Rose October, 2008 Sherry Lynn Ferguson August, 2008 S.J. Stewart June, 2008 Shirley Marks December, 2007 Donna Wright December, 2007 Carolyn Brown August, 2007 Roni Denholtz June, 2007 Tara Randel April, 2007 Sydell Voeller February, 2007 Sheila Robins December, 2006 Ann Holt October, 2006 Cynthia Danielewski July, 2006 Jane McBride Choate March, 2006 Kathryn Meyer Griffith January, 2006 Mel Taylor November, 2005 Kathleen Fuller September, 2005 Tracey J. Lyons July, 2005 Ludima Gus Burton May, 2005 Holly Jacobs March, 2005 Sandra D. Bricker January, 2005 Kathryn Quick November, 2004 Cheri Jetton September, 2004 Heather S. Webber July, 2004 Karl Fieldhouse May, 2004 Shelley Galloway March, 2004 Ilsa Mayr January, 2004 Kathy Carmichael November, 2003 Dorothy P. O'Neill July, 2003 Joani Ascher May, 2003 Patricia DeGroot March, 2003 Nancy J. Parra January, 2003 Barbara Meyers November, 2002 Christine Bush September, 2002 Debby Mayne July, 2002 Jean C. Gordon May, 2002 Norma Seely January, 2002 Glen Ebisch November, 2001 Gina Cresse September, 2001 John Paxson July, 2001 Terri Alcock May, 2001 Clifford Blair March, 2001 Amanda Harte January, 2001 Kent Conwell November, 2000 Carolyn Brown September, 2000 Annette Mahon July, 2000 Marjorie McGinley May, 2000 Jack Lewis March, 2000 Amanda Harte January, 2000 Joyce and Jim Lavene November, 1999 Return to the current Author! Author! interview: Loretta C. Rogers October, 2009		Author! Author!: April, 2008 Click an image to learn more about these books. An Interview with Zelda Benjamin How did you start writing? My friend, Rochelle often reminds me how I would make up stories and give life to the most peculiar things, like an old afghan or kitchen utensils. When I was in my teens I wrote the ideas I wanted to share in a hard covered notebook. I entered magazine contests and learned early about rejection. My first published works were many years later when I wrote articles for nursing publications. It took ten years of serious writing before I sold my first romance, Brooklyn Ballerina to Avalon. How do you develop your characters? My stories are all character driven and the characters come from my imagination. In How do you develop your characters? I developed Alex’s character from the traits and personalities of many of the nurses I worked with. I wanted her to be a strong modern woman, balancing her profession, family and relationships. How do you name your characters? I try to give my characters names that help define their personalities. I read newspapers and magazines to find these names. A good baby-naming book is also helpful. Sometimes I combine names of people I know. They love seeing their name in print. Where do you get ideas for plots? Again, newspapers and magazines are full of plot ideas. My favorite is the Wall Street Journal center column. The idea for c came from a small clip in a news magazine about a break-in where nothing was taken. The house belonged to a famous French chocolatier and it was believed the thief was searching for a secret recipe. Are you working on anything else for Avalon? I loved creating the characters in Chocolate Secrets, especially the kooky candy maker, Chloe. I’m going to let her work her magic in a story of her own. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? Or for anyone wanting to submit to Avalon? You need to know the market you want to write for. Join groups such as Romance Writers of America where other writers share their knowledge of the industry. Many aspiring writers are not sure where their story fits. It’s important to know the genre you’re writing for. Always check the publisher’s guidelines. What do you do for fun - other than writing? My husband and I love to travel, especially with our children and grandchildren. Our favorite long distance destination is New Zealand. Close to home we visit New York and definitely Brooklyn where many of my stories are set. On our last trip we hit almost every chocolate shop in the borough of Brooklyn. We definitely consumed our share of calories in the name of research, but it was well worth it. Visit my website Zeldabenjamin.com.

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