Today I am speaking with Rose Middleton.

Hi Rose! And welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews! It is a pleasure having you with us today. Thank you for taking time out of your busy routine to answer some questions. The readers would love to hear something about Rose Middleton.

What is a typical day like for you, Rose?

A typical day…up at 5am and off to the gym for an hour. Then I head to work, where I teach Physical Education and Outdoor Education at senior high school. I spend my evenings and weekends writing, as well as catching up with family and friends. As a teacher, I have a lot of school holidays and so I love to get out and explore nature, as well as write.

Why not share some of your releases and upcoming releases with your readers?

My first release was “Tantaliser.” It came out at the beginning of March and is the story of Australian girl, Catherine “Charlie” Brown, and rockstar, Nik St. Eve. They meet when she auditions for his band, though her presence is the result of a dare. She knows he won’t accept her because she’s a woman and his band, Tantaliser, is an all-man rock band. But she never expects Nik to stir her desire to beat him at his own game, and nor can she accept the fierce attraction she feels. To Charlie, Nik is a chauvinist, so feeling anything for him frustrates her no end. But the more she gets to know Nik, the more she realizes there’s more to him than the bad boy rocker he likes to play.

I really enjoyed writing “Tantaliser.” Both Nik and Charlie were great characters to write, and the story unfolds at a clip. I like reading stories that are fast paced, and I write them that way too.

My second release is “One Foot Forward.” It’s the story of Molly Keating, who was injured in a car accident and saved by fire fighter, Mick Knight. The story picks up two years after the accident, when Molly buys Mick at a charity function as her way of saying thanks. But while her physical injuries have healed, Mick sees that her emotional scars are still hurting. His vow to put the spunk back in her eye leads him into uncomfortable territory. When his father died on the job, he watched his mother withdraw into herself and battle depression. As noble as he is, he wants to protect any woman he cares about from that fate and so avoids committing to relationships. That is until Molly comes along and inspires visions of next week, next month, and even next year. Nothing could scare Mick more.

Writing “One Foot Forward” was a challenge for me. The emotional side of this story forced me to put myself in Molly’s shoes. I actually put it away half-finished at the end of 2004, but it kept calling me back until I’d nailed every aspect of it. I’m really glad I returned to it.

Both “Tantaliser” and “One Foot Forward” are going to be available in print, with “One Foot Forward” expected to be released as early as June this year.

My next release will be “Can You Keep A Secret?” This is a light and fun office romance where administrative assistant, Penny Lane, gets to break out of her “plain Jane” shell and give the inner vixen a chance to blossom. Investigative journalist – and object of Penny’s fantasies – Jesse Fox, hardly knows what hits him when his secret Santa leaves all manner of erotic gifts for him. Here he was thinking that the boss’s latest gimmick would be lame. In starting the game, Penny never intended to reveal her identity but as time goes by, she becomes emboldened and with the help of her outrageous best friend, Margie, shows Jesse just who his Santa is in the most amazing weekend of her life.

“Can You Keep A Secret?” was a blast to write. The first draft practically poured out of me. My critique partner explains it by saying I was channeling. I have to agree with her. That first draft was complete in just two weeks.

What is your favorite part of a book to write?

All of it? I’m not trying to be facetious, but really, I get a huge kick out of the challenge of crafting the whole story. Each part of it – beginning, middle and end – has different traits and I welcome the unique challenge each brings. For instance, giving the opening chapter that zing that makes readers want to keep turning pages, and seeing how the characters handle the conflicts of the story. As for the ending, I usually find those rather bitter-sweet. Even though it’s a happy ending, saying goodbye to those characters can be hard. But then there’s usually a few other characters champing at the bit to be written.

Tell your fans something about you they would never guess.

I have a stationery fetish. I can literally spend hours in Officeworks (a department store dedicated to office supplies) just browsing. I could easily max out the credit card there!

Of all things you have accomplished, is there one accomplishment you are most proud of?

Perseverance. Finishing what I start. Whether it’s writing a manuscript, going on a bushwalk or scrap booking, I don’t like leaving things half done. I grew up with the motto that if something’s worth doing, then it’s worth doing well. I’d rather fail while trying hard than failing by not trying at all.

If you could be invisible for one hour, what would you do and where would you go?

I’d spend an hour in the office of a NY publisher! Just to see what makes them tick.

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

Life. Song lyrics, photos, a flower in bloom, observing others. In general, I enjoy creating an alternate reality in which to explore some of life’s ups and downs. Oh, and Bertha. She’s my muse. Ex-weightlifting, ex-wrestling Russian strongwoman. She keeps me on my toes and my fingers to the grindstone, and I don’t argue, LOL. I say this in all seriousness though, she’s a slave driver but in a twisted sort of way, I love it.

Since everybody needs a break, even when doing something they love, how do you like to spend your time away from writing?

I love getting out and exploring nature. Bushwalking and camping rank high on my list of hobbies, along with photography, scrap booking, cross-stitch embroidery, and knitting. And of course I love spending time with my family and friends. I’m lucky that my job takes me out in the wilderness sometimes, and I carry my camera everywhere for that just-in-case moment.

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

I never used to. I was happy to just write, and to some degree, I still am. But writing romantic suspense has opened up this strategy for me.

Last year, I was struck by an idea for a RS but because it involved twists and turns, I outlined it chapter by chapter. I took a week to do this and by the time I started the manuscript, I was so eager that I wrote 20K in two days. I liked knowing where I was going with the story, knowing the ending and the turning points of the story was critical to the pacing and the release of various clues and hints.

I don’t plot as detailed as that for every story, however I always have an idea of how the events will unfold before I begin.

Do you feel as if the characters live with you as you write? Do they haunt your dreams?

I wouldn’t say they haunt my dreams, but I definitely hear them in my head. And yes, they do live with me while I write, but then they also go and live their HEA once the story is over and make room for others, LOL. I do have an advantage though, Bertha. She keeps them all in line. She’s like the nurse doing triage in the emergency room, only letting through the most urgent. Or in this case, those with the most complete stories.

How has being published changed your life, if at all?

I’m busier than ever. Between promotional events, edits, and keeping up on the loops I belong to, I’m finding that I need to re-balance my life. There really are not enough hours in a day. In addition, I’m feeling more pressure to live up to and improve on my writing standard. And everyone I know takes my writing more seriously now. Before, it was a hobby to them. Now, it’s more and they know how serious I am about being a full time author.

Who would you like to pen a book with, living or dead?

Matthew Reilly. He’s not a romance author, but I love his books. And a little of that success rubbing off on me would be super.

What does your working space look like?

Funny you should ask. At the beginning of the year, I pretty much ripped my office out and started again. It’s very much an office though, there’s nothing much ‘inspirational’ about it. Unless you count the fish tank and pictures of hunky men *g*. Sometimes I’ll take my laptop out and write in the yard, or by the lake nearby, but I’m finding more and more that I write within myself. It’s like I get into the zone and live my characters in their world while I sit at my desk. I don’t have music on and the only real sounds I hear are the fish tank’s filter humming and the cat who occasionally bumps me back into the real world for a reality check.

I love the portrait on your website and your cat looks very relaxed. Do you have a website other than http://www.lrmiddleton.com/Bio.html that you would like to share with your readers?

http://www.lrmiddleton.com is where it’s all at. I want to keep it simple for both my readers and myself. I update the main website about once a month, but the blog at www.lrmiddleton.com/blog/ is updated a couple times a week, either with writing news, snippets of real life, photos, or reviews (books and movies). Thank you for the compliment on the photo. My family and I had professional portraits done last year (more for the family than my writing!) And yes, Kali (AKA Miss Muffet) can relax anywhere, including on my desk in front of the monitor, LOL.

For Fun: What is your secret indulgence?

Steaming hot bubble bath, candlelight, chocolate-dipped strawberries and an equally steamy fantasy…

Thank you so much for spending time with us today, Rose. Anyone interested in reading more about Rose and her incredible books, please visit her website to read more about her great works. It has been a delight Rose, and I wish you the best with your writing.

Interviewed by: Linda L