Welcome to FAR, Judith. Judith Gilbert is the author of The Mistletoe Affair and His Farm, Her Circus.

Katherine Cahill is a strong woman in The Mistletoe Affair. Was she inspired by any one you know?

Katherine was inspired by two people I knew who went through very bitter divorces, often dangerous for them. What happened to them made me angry. I wanted to write about a heroine who would take on her ex-husband when he attempted to blackmail her and would cleverly turn the tables on him, even with a taste of revenge, which is so sweet in this book. Readers love that scene and high five Katherine’s audacity.

What was your favorite aspect of writing The Mistletoe Affair?

Getting to know my characters, spending time with them. They become my friends. Like Katherine, over the course of delving into Jared’s past and getting to know him, I fell madly in love with him. The friendship, the humor and the love he and Katherine shared were priceless.

Was His Farm, Her Circus inspired by an event or did you see something that made you wonder “what if” which lead to the book?

I do a lot of “what ifs” that spark my imagination, but I incorporate some events that actually happened in my life, even characters into every book I write. For example, in The Mistletoe Affair the opening of the book, Katherine’s five-year-old son arrives on skates with some very strange improvised kneepads when he couldn’t find his own. My boy said, “Thank you, Mom, for not using my name in that scene.” That funny scene really happened to me and embarrassed me to death.

In His Farm, Her Circus, a friend of mine had a pig for a pet, not a potbelly, which I use in the story, but a pig you would need a crane to lift. If you visited him, you had to visit Miss Piggy, who lived in a fenced portion of the yard in the life of luxury. She was like one of the family. When you meet Autumn’s parents, and I won’t ruin it for you, read the book to meet these quirky characters, I used to baby-sit for them. No, they would never recognize themselves from my books.

What was your favorite aspect of writing His Farm, Her Circus?

The humor, at times it made me smile, at other times it made me laugh out loud. Again, I used even more of events that actually happened in my life and threw in characters from my life. The romantic comedy has several unexpected twists in it that I doubt the reader would see coming, but they will laugh out loud when they happen.

How is writing humor different from other styles of writing? Do you find it easier?

Actually, I just finished writing the first of a vampire series, Blood Hunt: The Legend, due out in August under J Gilbert. Even in this darker book, the humor came into play at times. The lighter, humorous scenes come natural for me. Yes, they are easier to write. In Blood Hunt: The Legend, I used the lighter scenes to give the reader a breather from the darker aspects of the plot.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your books?

The romantic comedy His Farm, Her Circus is a series. I’m working on the second book, which incorporates the same characters, same town. Kayla Blessing and Garret Whittaker’s story will be told in Operation Sex Kitten.

I’m also working on plotting, writing the second vampire story in a four book series,
Blood Hunt: The Sacrifice. I hope my readers like the paranormal books.

I hope with any of my books they meet characters they learn to love. Characters that are unique, yet lovable.

Describe yourself in three words.

A restless spirit. One who cannot be held in one world, the romantic comedies I create, but wants to create others, like the world where vampires and the paranormal thrive.

What is the craziest thing you have ever done that not many people know about?

My husband calls me ‘Lucy’ because of the crazy things I’m always doing. He usually laughs and asks, “How did you do that?” For me it’s easy—and logical. They just happen.

Like the day I sprayed and killed one Texas size tree roach that came into the house. I’m scared to death of roaches, might as well be a dinosaur attacking me. I sprayed the entire fireplace and up into the chimney to kill any others that might be brave enough to invade our home.

Within minutes, hundred of tree roaches crawled down the chimney. It was like a scene out of Alfred Hitchcock’s, The Birds, except we had large flying roaches, B52 dive-bombers soaring around the room, until they fell to the ground.

I was screaming my head off when my husband ran into the living room and yelled, “What have you done?”

“Me? I sprayed one roach that crawled out of the fireplace. That’s all.”

He grabbed the bug spray can, read the label and began laughing. “It has sex allure, honey. You invited every tree roach in the neighborhood to a sex party at our house for their last hoorah.”

Guess that’s why my daughter always says, “Mom, you’re a riot!” She always remembers the night we had ‘The Invasion of the Cockroaches’.

What was your favorite cartoon growing up and why?

“Beep beep” Road Runner. If you’ve never seen any of them, you missed some good laughs watching that coyote try and catch that road runner. Most of the old cartoons are available in DVDs now.

What is your favorite word? Least Favorite? And why?

Favorite: Love. I didn’t feel or hear that word when I was growing up, so I have a tendency to overkill that word with my own family. You get a lot of hugs when you’re around me because I actually had to teach myself not to get uncomfortable when anyone hugged me. I wasn’t used to it.

Least Favorite: Can’t. I remember taking a Statistics I class when I worked on my MBA. The professor wrote the textbook for the class. Anyway, he walked into the classroom the first day, looked at us like we were beneath him and said, “I don’t give A’s, so accept the fact you can’t get one in my classes.” That statement was like waving a red flag in my stubborn face. Not only did I earn an A in the first class I had with this professor, I took Statistics II from him and earned another A. He had no idea how determined women are to succeed, especially when a man tells them they can’t.

Is there any music that inspires the different genres?

Every book I write features one singer. I have either one or two of his song titles worked into the story. No, it is not Elvis. Hint, he had forty #1 hits. He is wonderful. I get to see him in person at Silver Springs, FL in a show December 16. We have an old fashioned restored jukebox that plays CDs and I play his music all the time. Pick up any of my books and you’ll find one or two of his songs featured in a scene.

Do you have a specific routine before you write? Do you write in one area only or everywhere?

I can write anywhere and do, but mostly in a spare bedroom we converted into a full office for me and my husband. We each have a computer, printer, fax and built-in bookcases. Also, I own a laptop and an AlphaSmart I take with me on vacation.

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night with an idea for a story that immediately has to be written?

I don’t sleep much due to hyperactivity, but if I’m not sure how to open a chapter or a scene, I think about it overnight and that helps me resolve the problem. My brain works on it until it’s licked by playing the movie in my head until the puzzle pieces fit.

If you could work with any author, who would it be and why?

Hey, if I could wiggle my nose and make it happen, either Jayne Ann Krentz or Nora Roberts. I’d like to see the complete process they go through from concept to completion of a book. Both are my idols. They produce fast and well. Hey, I can dream big, right?

Who/What inspired you to write?

Reading was how I coped with life when I was a child, it was my escape into other worlds. I always had a love for writing but knew education was the key to success so I tapped down those movies that played in my head and went for an accounting degree, and later an MBA. I worked with a major oil company in Houston for years.

The only person I talked to about my stories was my grandfather. He was a minister who wrote a by-line for a newspaper and wrote short stories. We would talk for hours about stories we dreamed up. He always told me not to put off that dream forever or it would be lost one day. I walked away from the corporate world as a Financial Analyst and I’m going after that dream. My grandfather isn’t here to see it today, but I know he’s clapping for me every time I get a book published.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Wow, that’s a tough one because I have a lot. Triskelion has some terrific authors. To name a few: Betty Hanawa, Beverly Rae, Esther Mitchell, Melanie Atkins, Shiloh Walker, Lynne Connelly, Dara Edmondson, Judith Rochelle the list goes on and on. I’m prejudiced since the lady I edit with just got published with Triskelion. I think you’ll hear a lot about Melissa Nelson, who wrote It Had To Be Drew.

Is there a way other than your website for fans to keep updated?

Coffee Time Romance announces my chats, author days and library workshops on the loops and I send out some notices also. The next step is starting a newsletter, which I plan to do soon.

Do you believe writing is a gift you are born with or can it be taught?

First, you have to love writing. After that, if you follow your heart, study the craft of writing and practice what you learn by writing and don’t give up, you can make it.

When you first began writing, what was the most difficult part?

I took tons of classes, still do. Juggling work, learning to write classes and writing.

With our hectic lives, what amazes me is that any one finds time to write.

What final advice would you offer to writers who are seeking publication?

Writing is a process that takes time to learn and perfect. If you start a book, finish it. Do that and you won’t be setting yourself up for future failures when you have to finish the book by a deadline. It gives you a set of accomplishment and confidence. Set goals. Where do you want to be in a year? Five years? That includes setting productivity goals and sticking to them.

Finally, any last thoughts.

I find what I really have to fight to write is myself. That little voice of discouragement that sits on my shoulder and taunts me with, “Who do you think you are? Everything you write stinks. You can’t do this. Your other books were flukes. Hang it up. Quit!” Every writer suffers from doubt, big time, but we keep writing because we love to write and we hope somewhere out there a reader will pick up our books and fall in love with our characters, which are really little chunks of our heart.

Thank you for interviewing me, Dena.

Thank you Judith for taking the time to answer my questions and give us a glimpse into your life and world. For more information about Judith Gilbert and her books, visit her website.

Interviewed by: Dena