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Read some interviews from past editions:
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Zelda Benjamin
April, 2008
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Shirley Marks
December, 2007
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Donna Wright
December, 2007
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Carolyn Brown
August, 2007
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Roni Denholtz
June, 2007
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Tara Randel
April, 2007
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Sydell Voeller
February, 2007
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Sheila Robins
December, 2006
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Ann Holt
October, 2006
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Cynthia Danielewski
July, 2006
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Jane McBride Choate
March, 2006
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Kathryn Meyer Griffith
January, 2006
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Mel Taylor
November, 2005
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Kathleen Fuller
September, 2005
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Tracey J. Lyons
July, 2005
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Ludima Gus Burton
May, 2005
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Holly Jacobs
March, 2005
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Sandra D. Bricker
January, 2005
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Kathryn Quick
November, 2004
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Cheri Jetton
September, 2004
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Heather S. Webber
July, 2004
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Karl Fieldhouse
May, 2004
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Shelley Galloway
March, 2004
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Ilsa Mayr
January, 2004
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Kathy Carmichael
November, 2003
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Dorothy P. O'Neill
July, 2003
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Joani Ascher
May, 2003
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Patricia DeGroot
March, 2003
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Nancy J. Parra
January, 2003
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Barbara Meyers
November, 2002
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Christine Bush
September, 2002
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Debby Mayne
July, 2002
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Jean C. Gordon
May, 2002
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Charles E. Friend
March, 2002
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Norma Seely
January, 2002
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Glen Ebisch
November, 2001
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Gina Cresse
September, 2001
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John Paxson
July, 2001
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Terri Alcock
May, 2001
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Clifford Blair
March, 2001
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Amanda Harte
January, 2001
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Kent Conwell
November, 2000
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Carolyn Brown
September, 2000
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Annette Mahon
July, 2000
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Marjorie McGinley
May, 2000
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Jack Lewis
March, 2000
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Joyce and Jim Lavene
November, 1999
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Return to the current Author! Author! interview:
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S.J. Stewart
April, 2008
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Author! Author!: January, 2000
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Click on images to learn more about these books.
An Interview with
Amanda
Harte |
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How long have you been writing, and why do you write?
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I've been writing for almost as long as I can remember, although I'm sure you'll understand if we don't discuss my childhood "masterpieces." My fifth grade forays into play writing, All About Thermometers and Hawaii, had great costumes, but they were not commercial successes. Seriously, though, one of my earliest dreams was of being a published author, and I count myself very, very fortunate that that dream has come true. There's nothing that compares to the thrill of knowing that my stories have touched readers' hearts, which is why although I've written dozens of articles for trade journals, my greatest love is fiction, romantic fiction to be specific.
Why do I write? Let's come back to that later.
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How do you choose the settings for your books? Is Canela a real town?
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Although I'm now a resident of New Jersey and love the Garden State, I've also been lucky enough to have lived in various parts of the United States, France and Germany and have traveled extensively (I'm a Sagittarian, so my bags are almost always packed). Like many writers, I use places I know and love for my books. Recently, I've taken readers from medieval France to turn of the century Alaska and now, in Strings Attached, to a small town in Texas.
As for Canela, it's not a real town, but it was inspired by the small town in East Texas where I spent my early childhood. I have such wonderful memories of life there that I wanted to share them with my readers. There was only one problem. I became so fond of Canela and its people that I didn't want the story to end. I do hope you like the town and its inhabitants as much as I do, because the seeds for two or possibly three other Canela books have started to grow.
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Do you find that your stories have any unifying theme?
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I don't think my earliest books did, but I'm fascinated by the many ways in which love changes people. When I realized that the books I enjoy reading the most are the ones in which the characters grow and change because of love, I knew that was what I had to write. For me that's what romance is all about - the miracles that love can work.
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What's next?
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Although I've written ten books, I have never set one in New Jersey, and I think it's time to show my readers just how beautiful - and romantic - my home can be. Of course, that presents a small problem since I don't want to leave Canela, and there are other characters from Strings Attached who are asking for their own books. And then there's a resort in the Adirondacks that would be the perfect setting for three or four books.
But why don't I turn the question around? What would you like to read next? You can e-mail your answer to me at amanda.harte@sff.net. Also, please visit my web page. I'd love to hear from you.
Now, back to the beginning. To answer your first question: you're the reason I write.
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