Hi Anita! Welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews! Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with us.

I’m very happy to talk with you, Jessica.

In your story Letters from the Heart, you created a suspenseful romance with a character, Luke, that must come to terms with pain left over from things from the past and deal with them. Do you find it easy to write about real life issues? Or is it more difficult since they are so real?

It’s much easier for me to write about real life issues because I can relate to them. I try to make my characters as believable as possible and pulling from my own life experiences, for me, allow them to have traits and characteristics that hopefully will pull my readers into the story itself.

Also in your story Letters from the Heart, you have developed a combination of characters that have been devastated but choose to deal with it in many different ways. Was there a particular character in this story that was more difficult to write than another? If so, how?

I think I had the most trouble with Luke’s father, Stockton. I wanted him to be strong and somewhat stubborn but also willing to admit his part in pushing his sons away. I tried to portray that in the conversations between each of his sons as well as with the heroine, Zoe Davis. That way I could show a developing closure as the story progressed.

What is it about the genres of suspense and paranormal that you enjoy writing?

I think part of the reason I write in that genre is that I enjoy reading it so much. I love to read a book that I can’t put down and that is what I strive to do with my writing. I want the reader not to be able to stop without going on to the next chapter and the next. As far as the paranormal, I believe a touch of magic, or healing powers or witchcraft added to a contemporary romantic suspense can add spice and, if blended well enough, can also be something a reader just might think is possible.

From what do you derive the most inspiration for your writing?

Much of it is from experiences and places I have had and visited and also because I have been an avid reader from the time I could hold a book. People sometimes ask me how I think of the things that I write and I tell them, for me, writing allows me to take favorite places and memories and blend them into what my imagination allows them to be. That’s what so exciting about writing. You hold the power to manipulate, soften or harden a character as a writer. It’s a thrilling thing when it all comes together.

Do you have any special rituals to help you get in the mood to write?

Not really. Ironically, some of my best writing is done late at night or very early in the morning. Late at night because the house is quiet and I can write uninterrupted and early in the morning because, oftentimes, I wake up and suddenly know exactly where I want to go in the next chapter and can’t wait to get it down in print before I forget! I’m always in the mood to write but that doesn’t always mean that I can. Sometimes I find I have to walk away for a time and not try so hard.

Aside from doing something you love (writing), I see you have a passion for sports. Do you have any special team that you cheer for or do you just enjoy the backyard variety?

I’m an avid Cleveland Indians, Browns and Cavaliers fan as my family will attest to. All my children, I have three, have played baseball and soccer and I enjoy that just as much.

Would you say that outside interests or hobbies of yours find their way into your stories?

I would say that bits and pieces of those things are incorporated into them. For instance, I love horses and took riding lessons for many years. I used that knowledge to set up the background for Letters From The Heart. Luke’s father owns a large horse farm raising Arabs which happens to be the breed I am familiar with. Again, I believe that type of experience or knowledge makes the story more real, more believable.

Tell your fans something about you they would never guess.

Almost all my stories are centered on people with Celtic backgrounds and their clairvoyance and well known sixth sense. In reality, my husband is the Irishman and I happen to be Slovak!

Other than being published, what other accomplishment are you the most proud of?

Surviving raising three children through the teenage years and being married to a wonderful man for twenty six years. I also love my career which is obstetrical nursing. Of course, I’m not so sure I like it as well when the mothers of my patients remember me from when they had their babies!

What would we find on your bookshelf?

An eclectic mix of books. I read mysteries, love stories, thrillers and biographies and I try to keep an open mind to almost everything else as well.

How do you come up with the names of your characters?

I usually associate names with how I want my character to appear. Strong names for strong characters and softer names for milder characters. I use relatives, neighbors and friends as resources as well as the media as in television shows etc… My problem is that I tend to gravitate to names I like and I have to be careful not to use them again and again in another novel.

Of all the individuals you have created, do you have a particular favorite? What appeals to you the most about this character?

I think I like the heroine, Zoe Davis of Letters From The Heart the best. She is a woman of strong powers and strong convictions but I like the way her softer and more vulnerable side appeared as the story progressed. I struggled to blend the supernatural with the real but when all was said and done, I was pleased with the result.

Do you outline your stories or do you just write as you go?

I write as I go. I have a vague idea of what I want the story to be about and then I just let the characters develop. Usually about half way through I stop and reread the entire story, making sure things are progressing logically and they way I want them to. The hardest part for me is making sure the timeline makes sense and the characters don’t change eye or hair color!

What does your working space look like?

I work in a small den like room in the front of the house with a nice big window that lets lots of natural light in. My family has come to refer to it as Mom’s computer room.

What’s your favorite comfort food?

I love a nice big bowl of hot buttered popcorn and a cold can of soda.

Do you have a favorite movie that you could watch over and over again?

I have several favorites. Field of Dreams, Phantom of the Opera and believe it or not Ghostbusters (the original)

Can you tell us a little about your other upcoming works?

First, I am pleased to announce the Letters From The Heart can now be ordered in print form. My third novel, The Stanton Curse, is to be released in the next few months. I am almost finished with another paranormal suspense that centers on a clairvoyant female detective and the man who hires her to investigate his aunt’s death. A death they discover that is not as random as it first appears. I’d like to tell you more but I don’t know myself how it will end yet.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to tell readers something about myself. Personally, I can’t think of anything more enjoyable than curling up by a crackling fire on a cold night with a good book. I hope that after those of you read Letters From The Heart you will put mine in that category.

Thank you so much for stopping by Anita. For anyone looking for a suspenseful or paranormal tale stop by the Anita’s website, http://anitawhiting.tripod.com, to see what you are missing. If the reviews are any indication, you will definitely want to stop and pick one of the beautifully written stories up.

Interviewed by: Jessica