Ericka Scott

An interview by Sheila
 

Ericka Scott was gracious enough to interview with Wild on Books star interviewer, Sheila, this month!

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Ericka Scott's Sites:

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Posted July 29, 2008

SheilaMonique:  Hi Ericka! Welcome to Wild on books. Can you tell us about your latest release THE WEREWOLF WHISPERER?

Ericka Scott:  Celebrity dog trainer, Serena O'Toole, had the perfect life. She has a boyfriend, kind of, and a job she loves, well, she used to love it. And the audition for a national television spot could skyrocket her dog training show, “Woof”, to the stars…if it doesn't bore her to death first. Then, when she thought things couldn't get any worse, a sexy-voiced stranger calls to tell her that her brother, Michael, is missing. It only takes her a few minutes to pack her bags and head off to a town not marked on any map.  

The last thing Jackson Hardy wanted to do was to involve another civilian. But, unless the horror writer, Michael O'Toole, was found in the next two days, he will die. But, from the moment Serena's black VW Beetle rolls into town, Jackson knows he's lost his heart. He can't keep his mind, or his hands, off her. She's beautiful, talented, irresistible. Everyone in town notices her charms… Everyone . But Jackson knows to fall in love with her, and make love to her, would be a fatal mistake.   

When Michael is found, Serena decides to stay and get to know Jackson better. When she looks in his eyes, she realizes he exudes a sex appeal she is helpless to deny. Nor does she want to. But for a man who can't keep his hands off her, Jackson is sure in a surprising hurry for her to leave. But someone in Eclipse is equally determined for her to stay…forever.  

This story was originally published by the now-defunct StarDust Press. It was out for two weeks last September. It’s been re-edited and I’m excited to see it back in print.
 

SheilaMonique: All of your books look so interesting; it is difficult to decide where to start!  Which book do you recommend? Why that particular book?  

Ericka Scott:  Postcards from the Dead is one of my favorites. It’s one of my most inventive premises – a woman who gets postcards from dead people in order to give their loved ones important information and closure.

SheilaMonique:  Do you have a favorite genre when writing?  

Ericka Scott:  Seductive Suspense.
 

SheilaMonique:  What genre have you not written in but would like to try your hand at? 

Ericka Scott:  I haven’t tried my hand at any science fiction yet and would like to.
 

SheilaMonique:  Is there something special you do to celebrate when one of your books is released? 

Ericka Scott:  I collect little pewter figurines that. Once a book is released, I celebrate by browsing e-bay for something reminiscent of the book.
 

SheilaMonique: Can you describe a typical writing day for you? 

Ericka Scott:  Mornings are usually filled with reading my e-mail, getting out and promoting my books, updating my website, anything that I can do with constant interruptions from my kids (a teenager and two preschoolers). Then, in the afternoon, while my little ones “rest”, I try to squeeze in an hour of writing every day. In the evenings, I try to write another hour right after dinner while the kids are outside playing before bedtime.   
 

SheilaMonique: Any upcoming projects that you can share with us? 

Ericka Scott:  I am currently plotting out a “twist” to the classic sorcerer’s apprentice story that involves big cat shifters. Needless to say, what can go wrong, will in this story. And it’s going to be up to a very sexy leopard to save the day.
 

SheilaMonique:  Where do you get your ideas to write your stories from?  

Ericka Scott:  I honestly have no idea. I never thought I believed in “muses”, those mythical creatures that bless humanity with gifts. But sometimes, when a plot comes to me in the shower or while I’m out walking, I wonder if muses are more real than I thought.
 

SheilaMonique:  Do you know exactly what you're going to write beforehand or do you just follow where your inspiration leads? 

Ericka Scott:  I’m a plotter, so I start with a basic premise and then try to build the story around it. Sometimes I write true to the plot, but more often, as I write, things fall together differently than I had foreseen.
 

SheilaMonique:  What is your favorite part of the book to write? Beginning, middle or end? Why?  

Ericka Scott:  I love it when I get to the middle of the book. Yeah, that’s when the sagging starts and I really have to be creative to add a twist to keep the suspense and action up. That’s usually when things fall together and I find I can’t write fast enough to keep up with the story.
 

SheilaMonique:  How long have you been writing? 

Ericka Scott:  I’ve been “writing” fiction since junior high school – a friend and I co-wrote a mystery story that was a mix between Agatha Christie and Sam Spade. Since then, I’ve had periods of time when I wrote a lot or a little. I began pursuing writing for publication in 1996 with mystery short stories. It wasn’t until about ten years later that I found I wanted to write longer works and began writing seductive suspense. My first novella was accepted in 2007.
 

SheilaMonique:  Who was your inspiration for writing?  

Ericka Scott:  Agatha Christie.
 

SheilaMonique:  If you didn’t write, what would you do?  

Ericka Scott:  Go nuts. LOL.
 

SheilaMonique:  A typical writing day starts out how?  

Ericka Scott:  Way too early in the morning. Unfortunately, one of my children is also an early riser, so I don’t often get in much writing before he interrupts. I actually usually sit down to write as soon as they lay down for their afternoon naps. Then, I feel like it’s a race to see how many words I can get down on the page before they wake up.
 

SheilaMonique:  I see that you are married and have three children, how do you find the time to write?  

Ericka Scott:  With difficulty. I grab the time whenever I can, sometimes it’s just ten minutes, sometimes I get a whole hour or two.
 

SheilaMonique:  What was your response when you got your first “accepted” letter?  

Ericka Scott:  I’m such a chicken…I couldn’t open the e-mail myself. My hands were shaking and I felt a bit sick. I made my husband open it and read it first. He pulled my hands away from my eyes and I shrieked as soon as I read the first line.
 

SheilaMonique:  You get discouraged, what do you do to keep on writing?  

Ericka Scott:  That’s a tough one – because there is just so much to get discouraged about as a writer: rejections, bad reviews, never-ending projects, and just not enough time in the day to accomplish everything. But for me, writing is part of who I am. So, when things are going well, I’ll usually try to write something outside my comfort zone so there’s no fear of failure.
 

SheilaMonique:  Who are some of your favorite authors?  

Ericka Scott:  This is a hard question…I’ll read just about anything, but some authors who are on my auto-buy list are: Heather Graham, Kay Hooper, Janet Evanovich, Nora Roberts, The Lincoln-Child writing team, Jeffrey Deaver, James Patterson’s Alex Cross series, Deanna Lee, Sable Grey, and Jackie Barbosa. I also still reread an Agatha Christie occasionally and I’d love to see the return of gothic romances by Barbara Michaels.
 

SheilaMonique:  Anything your fans would be surprised to know about you?  

Ericka Scott:  Fans might be surprised, but I’m sure other authors won’t be. I’m terribly shy and would much rather write than promote or attend conferences. In order to push the envelope and grow, I’m not only attending the RWA national convention, but I’ve volunteered to help as well.
 

SheilaMonique:  Thank you Ericka for taking the time to chat with us. I can’t wait to start the book you recommended.  Is there anything you would like to add?  

Ericka Scott:  I have several upcoming releases to look for this summer, The Werewolf Whisperer coming from Phaze and Forget Me Not being published by Total E-bound.

I’ll also be attending the West Hollywood Book Fair in September and will have lots of swag to give away. So, if you’re in the area, be sure to look me up!

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