FAR would like to welcome the talented author, Melissa Schroeder. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions. I'd like to start by asking you a little bit about yourself.

Thanks so much for the wonderful intro, Serena!

Being a self-declared Air Force brat, what is the most interesting place you've lived?

I find something cool about every place I have lived. As my father said, "There is no place as great as your last assignment or as exciting as the one coming up." But I have to say that my favorite place to have lived was Germany. I spent a huge chunk of my formative years there and plan to go back, possibly to live, one day.
Hawaii is one of the most interesting. Another state, but a completely different state of mind. The Hawaiian culture and history is so vast, and I loved sharing that with my oldest while we were stationed there. I think that is a great experience for children. We so often get too comfortable in our surroundings and never venture outside of our circle. Learning to step out and explore in your younger years makes it easier on you as an adult to do just that.

What's the hardest thing about being an Air Force wife?

That changes on a daily basis. lol. No, I have to say the separation is hard. We don't go through it that often, but even as I write this we are waiting for our next assignment. There is a chance he will spend a year in the desert or in Korea, without us. That will definitely be hard with two kids and now a writing career, and dealing with the fear that goes along with having him over there. Also, it is hard being away from family. As unique as Hawaii was, it was hard being there and not being a car ride away from family.

What's your favorite Python movie and why?

Ahh the choices. I have to say it used to be Holy Grail when I was younger, but it is now Life of Brian. There are scenes in it that as an adult with a few more years added to my intellect, that are hilarious.

How do you juggle being a mom and writing?

That is tough. I have one at home still, and the other is seven years older. And NO that wasn't planned. lol. Can you say, Happy Ninth Anniversary? So my schedule is crazy. I tend to write at night, answer emails and promote during the day. I am lucky that DH is very helpful, and will do a Daddy's day with the kids every now and then. Then there are other times I have to yell at him. But, I am very fortunate to have an understanding spouse. He takes leave when I have conferences and booksignings.

Do you have any free time? If so, what do you like to do?

Very little. When I finish a project, I reward myself with a bunch of new books. I go on a reading frenzy for a few days. I only watch one or two shows on a regular basis but I do tend to go on a movie watching orgy when I need some downtime. I also take time with the kids and Hubby. I do miss a lot of weekend adventures right now. Once the little one starts school, I will have more freedom to work during the day and will not have to work so many weekends.

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

A little of both. And a lot of times it depends on the story. Seducing the Saint, in the Charming the Snake anthology from Loose, practically wrote itself. As one of my friends said, those two just deserved to be together. They were fun. Now, on A Little Harmless Pleasure, I have had to outline it. It is a new genre for me, BDSM, but also, I changed the plot while I was writing it. The ending was supposed to take place in New Orleans, and I was working on it when Katrina hit. I just couldn't write it. So I changed it to different locales, but finally settled on Hawaii.

Do you feel as if the characters live with you as you write? Do they 'talk ' to you?

Yes, always. And if I try to ignore one they tend to get insistent. Cynthia, in A Little Harmless Pleasure is one that would not shut up. Even before I had come up with a story for her, she started talking to me. My mind wanders in conversations a lot of times. And, I tend to zone out when watching TV.

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

This is a hard one. If I were to separate them into fav heroine and hero, that would still be hard. I think for the hero it is a tie between David from Lost in Emotion and Jonas in Tempting Prudence. Both heroes are a bit like DH. Yes, he is a smart ass but he is sweet and accepts me for who I am:) For heroines, well, Anna from A Little Harmless Sex and Genoa from Lost in Emotion are my favs. Anna, because she has no shame of who she is, of her sexuality. In society today, women who enjoy sex are still vilified. I have a feeling Anna could take on a few nay sayers, lol. Genoa, well, mainly because she could stand up to David. She really has a smart mouth also. So, yeah, she is like me. But she is super smart too, and that is something I like in all my heroines. Sometimes they seem almost too smart for the heroes, lol

You have two books coming up soon from Loose Id; A Little Harmless Pleasure and Hunting Mila. Can you tell us a little bit about them?

Both are sequels but are stand alone titles. I am putting the finishing touches on A Little Harmless Pleasure, my first BDSM. This is a sequel to A Little Harmless Sex. Cynthia has been talking to me since ALHS came out. She came off as the bad person and she wanted everyone to know she has issues, mainly that she has never tried to control her life. In A Little Harmless Pleasure, she does that, with the help of Chris Dupree. A little too much to drink, and a whole lot of sex, opens a whole new world to her. Chris, who is a switch, sees a woman who needs to learn how to dominate, and through his help in the bedroom, she gains the confidence to take control of her life outside of it.

Hunting Mila is a sequel to Seducing the Saint that was in the Charming the Snake anthology. Hunter, who made a couple of brief appearances during Seducing the Saint, has been asked for a favor by his birth father. His soon to be step daughter has gone missing, and knowing Hunter and his background, he asks for help. Problem is, when he catches up to Mila, she doesn't want his help. She is in a tight fix, but she doesn't need help. Mila has a slight problem in that she is a thrill junky. On top of everything else, she is Hunter's exact opposite, chatty, materialistic, and nice. So, seeing these two tangle is going to be fun. I start back to work on that one after I turn in A Little Harmless Pleasure.

With books at Loose-Id, Whiskey Creek Press, Vintage Romance, and Liquid Silver, is it different writing for each publisher?

Yes. All of them have their own set of guidelines, and how they handle things. Each editor has a different personality, and a different way of working. For me, it keeps things interesting.

Do you have any other books in the works? Can we get a sneak peek?

Hmm, well I do have a few planned. Vicentes from the first Bounty Hunters has his own story coming up and will have to contend with a self-proclaimed Diva. I have another story attached to Seducing the Saint and Hunting Mila I am thinking about also. Those are both futuristics. There is a character in A Little Harmless Pleasure...Evan, who needs to be taken down a peg. I think he will have his own story soon also. I am sure I will work in a couple Sweet Shoppes at sometime, including a Christmas one, but that would be for 06, not this year. Also, Loose is going to release my Federation CTD Series in one print editon, all three books together: Voices Carry, Lost In Emotion, and Hard Habit to Break late winter/early spring of 2006.

I've been enjoying the Sweet Shoppe series, do you find it easier to write series or stand alone books? Which do you prefer writing?

I am so glad you like them! Hmm, I guess it depends. The series can be hard when I have interconnected stories. Checking back and making sure you get all the characters right is kind of hard, lol. But, I really like returning to old characters. It has been over a year since I finished up A Little Harmless Sex, so returning to Max and Anna has been fun. But then, sometimes I just need something new, something with brand new characters, just for the change of pace.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

I will be holding a contest leading up to the release of A Little Harmless Pleasure, and I will be doing a lot of chats. Check it all out at the website, or join either of my groups:
groups.yahoo.com/group/melissaschroederchat or
groups.yahoo.com/group/melissaschroedernews.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions. If you'd like to find out more about this fantastic author and her many books, check out her website at: http://www.authormelissaschroeder.com/home.html.

Thanks so much for having me at FAR, Serena!

Interviewed by: Serena