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URL:
www.missymartine.com
CONTACT:
missymartine@comcast.net
ABOUT MISSY
I was born and raised in the great
southern state of Tennessee. In my
youth, I studied nursing, and spent
several happy years working in the
hospitals there until I branched out
into medical management in 1980.
In 1998 I was managing a medical supply
house in Chattanooga when I met the love
of my life. The only problem facing me
then, he lived way out in Oklahoma. You
see, we had met in a chat room!
He romanced me daily with love letters,
flowers and phone calls. It wasn't long
before I uprooted myself, and moved west
to join him. We married in 1999, and
then continued our fantasy romance all
over the world. Together we have
traveled in almost all of the
Continental United States, and taken
trips to Canada and China.
We moved to Minnesota in 2003, where my
life was changed forever by a series of
small strokes. For someone who had owned
her own business and worked twelve hours
a day, being incapacitated was pure
torture. The strokes damaged a part of
my brain that helps control speech, and
for a long time I couldn't communicate
what was in my mind, to my lips. I could
read however, and I became an avid
reader of romance novels.
Strange as it sounds, the strokes did
not keep me from voicing my opinions. I
discovered that I could type my
thoughts, almost as fast as I once spoke
them. It was then that I started writing
long, lengthy newsletters to my family
and friends. I got all kinds of
compliments on my amusing tales of our
everyday life.
It wasn't long before my husband was
encouraging me to find some kind of
outlet to occupy my time, something that
was challenging, and rewarding. I was
already obsessed with reading about
romance, and I began to think I could
probably write a good romantic story. My
husband heartily agreed with me. With
that encouragement, I began writing my
first book. I wasn't really convinced
that anyone else would find it
interesting, but he pressed me to take a
chance and send it in to a publisher. To
my surprise, it was accepted, and now
I'm able to share it with readers
everywhere who like a "happily ever
after" story.
Now, I'm living in California with my,
still romantic, husband of twelve years,
and our boys. Our boys consist of Beau,
Midnight, and Bubba, three male cats
that allow us to live with them and
serve them at their leisure. I continue
to write almost daily, hoping that
someone, somewhere will get the same
enjoyment from reading my stories, that
I get from writing them.
INTERVIEW
Q: Did you always want to be
a writer?
A: No, in my youth I studied to be a
nurse. For several years I worked in
various hospitals, then branched out
into medical management. Nursing was
always the dream I followed.
Q: How did you get your
start in writing?
A: Back in 2003 I had a series of
strokes that made verbal communication
difficult for me. Since I couldn't work
out anymore, I began reading romance
novels. I learned that I could still
type my thoughts, even if I couldn't say
them verbally. At that point, I decided
to give writing a try, kind of like a
physical therapy. My husband liked my
stories so much, he encouraged me to
write the book.
Q: What do your family and
friends think of you writing erotic
romance?
A: I've actually had a lot of very
positive feedback. The friends that I
have shared my writing with are in awe
that someone they know has actually been
published. My family, with one small
exception, has shown great support by
telling all their friends about my book
so they will purchase it. I do have one
aunt who was less than thrilled. She
responded to the news by saying, "You
didn't put your real name on that did
you?" She sounded so appalled that I had
to laugh.
Q: What is your typical
writing day like?
A: Actually, I am one of the fortunate
writers that doesn't have to fit her
writing around her family obligations. I
don't have children, so I'm free to
spend as much time as I want on my
writing. I get up in the morning and fix
my husband's breakfast and pack him a
lunch. As soon as he leaves I just jump
right in. I spend a couple of hours
typing new paragraphs, and then stop at
mid-morning to re-read and edit what I
have already written. I usually stop for
lunch around noon, then immediately go
back to my writing. My husband says I'm
obsessed with a story once I start it,
meaning that sometimes I forget to eat,
or even make dinner, when the story is
flowing smoothly. I do admit that once I
start a new story, I am driven to finish
it.
Q: What is your writing
process for a new book?
A: I start with an idea for a story, and
then do some research on the Internet
about the area I am setting the story
in, and other pertinent details
involving the story. I create an Excel
file of all my characters, descriptions
and short bios. Then I make an outline
of how the story is to progress. I'm
rather lazy, and the outline is usually
written by hand on legal pads. The
outline will cover from beginning to the
end, not leaving anything out. Of
course, the outline can be changed due
to my story changing from one moment to
the next.
Q: How do you get your
characters for your books?
A: They come from my very fertile
imagination.
Q: Do you write about your
own life experiences?
A: I didn't think I did, but a cousin
who recently read Table for Three said
she could see shades of my childhood in
that book. I had never really thought of
it until then.
Q: What are your favorite
types of stories to write?
A: That's an easy question. I like
writing Ménage, Shape Shifter, and
Vampire love stories.
Q: Was it difficult to get
your first book published?
A: I didn't think it was difficult, but
it was nerve wracking. I researched all
my favorite sites to buy the books I
love so much, copied their submission
rules, and just sent it off. The
difficult part comes when you have to
wait weeks to get a response.
Q: Is there any advice you
would give to aspiring writers who feel
getting their work published is a pipe
dream?
A: I would tell them to never give up.
Write your stories for your own
enjoyment, and send them in for the
publishers to read. They can only say
no, and you will always have the
satisfaction of having tried. If one
says no, don't be discouraged; send it
in to the next one on your list. What
one publisher does not like, another may
think is a best selling novel.
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