Bernadette Marie
Romance Author
Come gather around. Even if you're not wearing your cowgirl hat, come join us anyway. We're lucky enough to have gotten a table right in front of the performers here at The Stage in Nashville and we're here to chat with Bernadette! The bartender will be right back; have seat. Bernadette, thank you for inviting us. This is a great place to hang out!
Deanna: Tell us a bit about
yourself that our readers might not
know.
Bernadette: I am a licensed cosmetologist by
trade. It was the creative side of me, I suppose, who wanted to make people
feel beautiful from a young age (what do you want to be when you grow up…since
I was 5.) But that was only a door opening as it brought me into the wonderful
world of entrepreneurship at the age of 20. After a few years of realizing
college was not for me I opened my first salon and still have one in my
basement where I keep active on a few friends and my family.
Deanna: What do you do to relax?
Bernadette: This question always stumps me
because my work is relaxing to me. I enjoy it that much. But I’m learning to
carve out time to pamper myself, have lunch with friends, and sit and read.
Deanna: As authors, we’ve sometimes been accused of being several people. How many personalities live in your mind?
Deanna: As authors, we’ve sometimes been accused of being several people. How many personalities live in your mind?
Bernadette:
I-have-no-idea! But there is an entire campus up there I think! My mind bubbles
over all the time with people. Every observation of someone gets stock piled
into another personality to draw from.
Deanna: What type of hero do you like best?
Deanna: What type of hero do you like best?
Bernadette: I have had GRAND success with my
favorite kind of man in my books. The softy-semi nerdy guy. Not all of my
heroes are nerdy, but they aren’t your bulked out alpha-male. They all have a
soft side that really shows. I think my heroines are much tougher than my
heroes.
Deanna: How many plots do you
include in one of your books?
Bernadette: Usually I stick to one—I think.
Every story weaves itself, but the plan is one.
Deanna:
Tell us about a typical day in your life as a writer.
Bernadette: My writer and my publishing duties
intermix A LOT! But I mix in a lot of writing all the time and I work on
multiple books at a time to just keep my mind going. (Yes once in awhile a
character jumps books…it happens on accident.) However, my typical day finds me
at my computer writing anywhere from 4-6am. Then the kids head to school and
I’m back at it the moment they walk out the door. I’m not a TV watcher (hence the
relax question threw me) so I’m sitting with my laptop (among my family)
writing away until about 10pm. See, I’m obsessed.
Deanna:
Do your books have a common theme or are they all different?
Bernadette: As for my series work, of course
there is a theme. The Kellers are a family theme as well as Matchmakers, which
also has a music/art theme. I tend to always write in some sort of tight knit
bonding between one of my characters and either a parent, sibling, friend or
even town, as in my Aspen Creek series. They all have a happily ever after
theme, even if the stories (plots) differ.
Deanna:
I find it easier to write and listen to my characters although I do write a short outline of where the story goes but not a lot of chapter detail. Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Bernadette:
I am a total pantser, too. The only thing I know, going into a book, is the
characters and some basic idea of what the plot might be. The rest just comes.
I’m often surprised when I go back and reread my work. I think, “Wow, I put
that in there?” I’ve tried plotting, but I’m not that organized.
Deanna:
How long have you been a writer?
Bernadette:
Forever. Okay, really I started writing, seriously, at the age of 13. When I
was 16 I began to send out queries and got my first submission request.
Obviously that didn’t pan out for about 20 more years, but writing was always
part of me even when life had me doing other things.
Deanna:
Are any of your characters based on real people or events?
Bernadette:
Until recently I made sure nothing was based on anything real. But I have
changed with every book. In fact, Love Songs has singer/songwriter (cousin)
Randy Sayner as a character in the book. That was a lot of fun to collaborate
with him on the Nashville songwriter/singer side. A few of my characters are
martial artists, and I’m a second degree black belt in Tang Soo Do, so they
share my experience. I also grew up in
the food service business (the supplier side) and in Cart Before the Horse,
when Gabe’s walk-in freezes up, that was penned after a customer had to rebuy
all of his stock because of the same reason.
Deanna:
Has your life changed significantly since becoming a published
writer?
Bernadette:
Not really, but I’ve paid off a lot of bills. Other than that—I’ve been able to
have the freedom to work at home (from my office or the dining room table.)
This is nice because I can be where my 5 sons need me at any time. But my friends
and activities are the same.
Deanna:
Congrat on being able to write full time. May authors dream of that happening for them one day. Please tell us five miscellaneous facts about yourself.
Bernadette:
1. I’m really messy. (Creative mind at play)
2. I went to college to be a teacher and ended up in
journalism.
3. I have had the same best friend since I was 6.
4. I worked Saturdays from the time I was 13 until I
was 30.
5. My trophy case has numerous 1st and 3rd
place trophies from Karate tournaments and Nail competitions. I’ve never won 2nd.
Blurb for Love Songs,
which releases the 3rd of October.
Warner
Wright is looking for that big break into country music, but the reputation of
his ex-stepmother is getting doors slammed in his face. But when he hears the
angelic voice of Clara Keller—he knows she’ll be his ticket.
When the talented Clara Keller and the sometimes awkward Warner Wright get together there is a spark even bigger than Nashville. Opportunity is going to knock on their door, but fame can be a tricky bedfellow.
Making beautiful music will be the easy part. Facing Warner’s past might corrupt them both.
When the talented Clara Keller and the sometimes awkward Warner Wright get together there is a spark even bigger than Nashville. Opportunity is going to knock on their door, but fame can be a tricky bedfellow.
Making beautiful music will be the easy part. Facing Warner’s past might corrupt them both.
CONTEST: One lucky commenter will be picked to receive an e-copy of Love songs, book six in the series! Leave a comment or question for Bernadette along with your email and the e-format you'll need if you win.
Thank you all for stopping by to celebrate the release of Bernadette's new book! Please use the share buttons below!
Twitter: @WritesRomance
Great interview! Sounds like a fantastic book.
ReplyDeletequiltlady110 AT gmail DOT com
Very nice interview
ReplyDeleteKindle
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
Sorry forgot to put down kindle format.
ReplyDelete