Author Interview-Ana E. Ross
What inspired you to become a writer? I would
have to say the youth program at my childhood church on the island of Nevis in
the West Indies. I began writing plays, poems, and songs at a very early age
for the Youth and Sunday school programs.
Later, I wrote love poems and short stories in high school. However, when it comes to romance, I got my
inspiration from Mills & Boones, Regencies, and Historical Romance novels. I devoured them, sometimes four in a week
from the time I was twelve years old.
There was one point when I’d read all the romances in the library, and
had to wait for new shipments—a very frustrating period for me.
Who are your favorite romance characters (besides your
own?)
I like the alpha males in Harlequin Presents books. Some readers think them cruel, but I consider
them strong, independent men, who know what they want, and who are not above
threatening and blackmailing the heroines into pleasing situations for both of
them. But I know if the heroines called their bluff, they’d back down—at least,
that’s what mine would do. Then it would
be a different kind of story. I love
feisty heroines who challenge the heroes—make them scratch their heads in
wonder. In the end, she always gets her
man and brings him to his knees, one way or the other.
Tell me what inspired this story. My
daughter. She’s almost twenty-two now,
but she was the cutest baby and child (every mother’s bias opinion of course). I wanted to write a story about a little girl
who was as loveable and precocious as her, thus Precious was created. Actually, my daughter had two goldfish named
Sippy and Charlie, and the scene in the story about Precious’ fish almost dying
really happened to my daughter’s. Also,
like Precious, my daughter had a little admirer in kindergarten who was always
trying to kiss her. Whenever I read that
scene, I smile, especially because of Erik’s reaction when Precious told him about
the boy.
How do you balance your day-to-day commitments with your
writing life? Oh, this is a hard one for me. I’m an
eight-grade Writing teacher, so I’m always reading/correcting essays and
such. I’m also in grad school, and am a
single parent, so during the school year, I hardly have time to write. I try to
get as much in as possible on the weekends, but that time is shared with my
daughter who’s home from college on weekends and need some Mom time. In the summers, though—I write and write and
write my heart out.
Is there anything else you’d like to
share with our readers?
I’m offering a free download of The Doctor’s Secret Bride to
the first five (5) readers who send me the answers to seven questions found in
my Novella Mark
of a Good Man, presently available on Amazon. More information about this contest is found
on my website: www.anaeross.com
Visit my Author’s Page on Amazon: Ana
E Ross to purchase copies of my books.
Title: The Doctor’s Secret Bride, Book One in
the Billionaire Brides of Granite Falls Series. To be released on May 28, 2012.
Blurb: Michelle Carter has been down on her luck since the day she was
born. So it comes as no surprise when through a series of unfortunate
events, she finds herself jobless, penniless, and practically homeless.
In need of a roof over her head, Michelle accepts a job as a nanny and finds
it absolutely impossible to resist the sexual magnetism of her handsome, sexy
billionaire boss—but resist she must for as long as she can—especially since
she’s keeping secrets from him.
Believing that his
late wife betrayed him, falling in love again is the last thing Dr. Erik
LaCrosse wants to do. But fall, he does, and so hard, he secretly
marries the alluring nanny from the wrong side of the tracks. However,
when he unearths a horrible secret from Michelle’s past, Erik must choose
between his loyalty to a dead woman and the love burning in his heart for one
who is very much alive.
