Rebeccasavage’s Blog

Rebecca Giallongo Interview

1. Who are some of the writers who influenced your decision to write?

I started reading Harlequin Romances after finishing my Masters in History at the end of the summer of 2003. My friend always had a romance novel in her purse so I decided to read some ‘light’ reading. Not sure I’d consider Romance light reading any more. It gets pretty serious sometimes. LOL both reading it and writing it can be serious business. Living romance is even harder, don’t you think? It’s a lot of work. I especially feel that way right now, since I’m in the process of a divorce, not to be negative, since I do truly believe in true love. I’ve seen it for others, just not sure I’ve ever experienced it. But I really really want to

2. Take us on the road to your first sale.

Wow! The first sale! Now that is a long story! I joined RWA and local writers groups CRW then MORWA, and I started submitting, and the competition is … OMG… ridiculous! I gave up on main stream publishers and sold to a small publisher thinking I’d get my foot in the door and practice with editors and publishers. I’m so glad I did. But I just caught in that trap of selling to a publisher who folded, then got my rights back and sold again, a trilogy, then sold the other trilogy I’d already written to a second publisher to keep things going, then sold another two books to another publisher…I’m so impatient

3. Readers are curious about a writer’s life. Tell us about your typical writing day.

I write mostly in the summer. I spend a lot of time doing promotion, editing, reviewing, critiquing, and book signing during the school year because I’m a teacher, then during the summer I finish stories I’m working on and start new ones I like to write then crochet and think then write some more.

4. How much research do you do for each book? What is your favorite form of research?

I do research if I need to but since I worked as a Morse Code Operator / Supervisor in the military and I teach history and politics, I don’t have to do much research. But when I do research, I like the internet and personal interviews.

5. Tell us about this release.

Guard My Body is my latest release, and it is based on a home-grown terrorist aiding the enemy and allowing atomic weapons to cross the Mexican border, but our hero/heroine will stop him…or die trying.

Awesome April Interview Questions

In honor of April 15th being tax day, we’re asking 15 questions this month

1. Speaking of taxes, are your taxes finished, or do you procrastinate with them? Do you do them yourself or do you have a taxman do them for you?

My taxes are finished, and I’ve gotten my meager refund. Ugh! Now that my kids are out of the house, the refunds get smaller every year, although I can stills how a loss with my business of author…hmmm…wonder why that is
I don’t procrastinate when it comes to taxes, but I do sometimes have to wait for my employers to get the documents that I need to me so that I can complete the forms.
The main reason I don’t put taxes off is the fact that I do my own. I worked as a tax professional for ten years, and I do taxes at my home as a side business, so actually enjoy tax season. I’m so weird, huh?

2. As it says, “April showers bring May flowers”. What flowers do you hope to see the first thing in spring?

My favorite flowers are Easter Lillies. My grandma planted them, and I have them all around the border of my yard, so I never have to wait long for my favorite. They’re up when the snow is still on the ground sometimes.

3. Do you plant your own garden? Why or why not and where is it (are they) located? What type(s) will it (they) be and where is it (are they) located on your property?

I plant my garden with my uncle. He has a small garden in the back of my house, and I help him. He loves to plant and plow, and I cook whatever he brings in from the harvest. Works out well for us! 

For those who DO garden -
4. Do you prefer plants or seeds? Does it matter where you get them, or do you have a favorite place to go? What’s the name of the place and why do you prefer to go there?

I prefer things that already have some sort of start: tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries. I like to plant in hills, and my uncle is very good at softening up the soil. The richer the soil the better. I plant in various time periods as well. We are getting ready to put in the first round of crops, then we’ll still have turnips and things like that toward the end of the fall.

5. What will you plant (or have already planted) this year and why?

We’ll like to plant by the beginning of Spring then go in levels of others things that can be planted as certain crops are picked in stages and the soil is plowed under for the next item. We try to work with natural fertilizers, and we don’t like to plant the same things in the same place and deplete the soil of its nutrients. We also have flower gardens

6. Do you have any plants that are must haves for your garden, ones that it just won’t be complete without?

Tomatoes! Gotta have them. Can’t stand the ones from the store because home – grown are so great!

For those who DO NOT garden because they can’t or don’t like to –

4. If you could have a garden, what kind of garden would it be, how big would it be and what would you plant in it?

5. Have you ever considered getting involved with a local community garden? Why or why not?

My uncle is involved with a community garden, and he loves it, but I’ve hesitated because of the stress of dealing with the other gardeners and those in charge. He doesn’t like that part of it, so we usually deal more with our own garden than the community one.

6. For your produce, is the local grocery store just fine, or do you like to hit your local farmer’s market? What is your favorite fruit or vegetable that you do like to get?

I like the produce from local farmers’ markets, especially the watermelon and things I don’t grow much of on my own.

Now, let’s get to your writing:

7. What is your main genre (erotica, erotic romance, romantic suspense, etc.)? What was the draw for you?

I write contemporary Romantic Suspense, but a couple of my books are erotica, and I’m working on a dragon/fantasy right now. I like to read a wide variety of books and genres, s o I am branching out, but I started with Contemporary Romantic Suspense, Intrigue because I copied Morse Code in the military(USAF) for ten years…

8. Besides your main genre we just discussed, what elements do you prefer to use in a story and why those elements over others?

Romance is great, and I’m a woman, although not a typical one, so I love heart- felt stories, but they also have to have a fast paced plot, hence the suspense.

9. Do you prefer red roses or black roses? If so, does that show in your writing? If so, how? If roses aren’t your style, what flowers are? Do they influence your writing? If so, how?

Funny you should ask about roses;) I have three stories with roses, the last of which uses black roses as symbolism, since the fiancé of a murdered loved one places a black rose on the spot where the person died…
AND: I have a tattoo on my left ankle with the colors of the four roses in my series of three books, trilogy, and my kids’ names in between the roses and vines.

10. The jury’s still out on this question, so we’re still asking it! – Who decides what you write about, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one planting the seeds? How do you cultivate those seeds regardless of who plants them?

I’m a control freak, so I’d like to think I have total control, but at times, when I’m in the actual story and writing away, I have to say it’s just the inner creativity flowing. I’m not a plotter really, so my muse has to be good!

11. In your opinion, what author had the most influence on your writing? What about their writing did you find so influential and why?

I have to say Nora Roberts, although that seems unfair since she not the only author out there, but I like her and she’s big, and I write suspense, and so does she…so…
I like the fact she’s fast-paced and fun to read. That’s what I want to be. Fast-paced. Fun. Never boring

13. While authors can definitely influence us, inspiration can be everywhere for a writer, but specific people, places and events can inspire certain characters, personality traits or things that happen in our stories. In your current story that we’re promoting here today, insert name here, did any one particular person, place or event inspire you? If so who/what was it (were they), how did it/they inspire you and how is this inspiration reflected in your story?

My first stories came from my real life settings and jobs, especially the ones involving Morse Code, which I copied in the USAF for ten years with a Top Secret SCI Clearance. So those stories came easily to me, as did the ones about stalkers, since one is about a lawyer, and I’m the Mock Trial Coach at my school, and the banker, since I do taxes, and the nurse, since I have a friend who lives, sleeps, eats, and breathes nursing, and we discuss it a lot. So lots of people and settings come from my personal life, friends, family and observation.

14. Without giving away anything pertinent to the story, tell us about the hero and heroine (s) of your story. What do they look like? How do they meet (or “did” if this is a second book with these same characters)? What are their personalities – Are they comical cut-ups, are they serious or are they a mix of the two? Please give us a little bit of dialogue from the story that can illustrate this. (Not much, but just a few lines and from a different section than the main excerpt – Thanks!)

I’m going to work this from the angle of my latest release: Guard My Body. The heroine is a librarian, and the hero is a CIA covert operator, and she is asked to implant secret information in her mouth and transport it for her sister, the hero’s partner. They can’t leave where they are, so they need a curiouer, and the heroine volunteers. She has a bit of a wild side for a librarian, but that’s stereotyping So is the fact she’s a redhead He’s tall,d ark, and handsome, and a biker dude… She gets shot, and the hero says with a scowl, “All the good ones are either married, taken or have holes in their heads.”

15. The main characters are usually great, but sometimes, secondary and tertiary characters are known to steal the scenes. Who are the secondary/tertiary characters in your story and what do they look like? What’s unique about them? What is their relationship to the hero/heroine? Have any of these gone on to become scene-stealers? If so, who and how did they do it? (Again, please give us a small bit of dialogue to illustrate this – thanks!)

Since this a series of six books, and this is book number two of the trilogy, the secondary characters are very important. One is the sister of the heroine, and one is the partner of the hero. They’ve known each other a long time and used to be a team of covert operators in Colombia, South America, so the other stories are the follow ups of that. They all derserve happiliy ever afters, right?

Please send us pictures whenever possible of the favorite flowers you’ve planted, favorite fruits/vegetables you’ve grown, or maybe even a pic of your local farmer’s market as well as an image of yourself and your current release (or a couple if it’s part of a series and they are out and about to be had right now). Thanks!

How long have you been writing?

I started writing in 2004, summer. I’d finished my Masters in History with a minor in German at the end of the summer in 2003, and I wanted something fun and relaxing to read. I had a friend who carried around books all the time, so I asked to borrow one. I was hooked, and then one day I was lying on the couch reading and wondered what I’d write if I were to write a book. It’d have to be Contemporary Romantic Suspense with a lot of romance but a good storyline, too. So I went to my computer and three weeks later I’d finish the first of the trilogy that was actually my second trilogy to publish.

What, or who, inspired you to write?

I’ve always liked to read, but in high school I read Louis L’Amour westerns, then in 2003 I started reading the romance my friend did, so my friend, Lori, got me started and has to be considered my inspiration, along with all my favorite authors I adore and wish I could emulate.

Where do you get your ideas for your books?

Most of my ideas come from real life. I do very little research because I write intrigue, and the stories are from my past history as a Morse Code operator, although they are heavily expanded upon, of course. I’m not that cool or interesting, not like the characters in my books. lol

What genres do you write and which is your favorite genre to write?

I write Contemporary Romantic Suspense with DEA, CIA, FBI heroes and heroines, and I also write stalkers of all sorts, but I just began last summer a book with dragon / human characters, so romantic fantasy is my latest venture.

Can you tell us about your favorite hero and/or heroine in one of your
stories?

I like strong women, so my favorite I think so far is my female assassin, but the men are fabulous, too. I wish all men were like the men in my books. I know. I know. Wishful thinking, right? lol

When you write about a hero/heroine, are there parts of your characters that you take from your own experiences in your life?

As I mentioned above, yes, definitely, I take a lot of characteristics from myself and people I know and put them into my characters. I’ve lived a rich life. I’ve seen and done a lot, and I’ve been so many places. It’s easy to come up with ideas when you know the people I do.

Do you have favorite props that you use to bolster a story? Why do you use them?

I like river scenes. Something about the sensuality of water and the outdoors. But anywhere will do to have an amazing love scene. lol

When you are writing a book, do the characters become a part of your everyday life? How do you deal with it if they take over your everyday world?

They don’t take over, but I do find myself day dreaming a lot and thinking of upcoming scenes and not focusing on what I probably should be doing: my job, housework, whatever. lol

Does your family encourage you to write?

Most of my family is very supportive of my writing, but none of them read my work. They talk about the fact I’m a writer as if they’re proud of me, but I find it very odd that they don’t want to read my books, even if they read other works. But like so many other writers, I have lots of people that I know that just don’t read. I find that to be a real shame. I can’t imagine not reading, or writing. It’s a large part of my life and always has been.

***You have a busy life with a career and family. How do you find time to write? Do you have a schedule? Are you still teaching or have you retired? If you need to change this question around, please do so. Kat

I am going to be 45 years old, in April, so I have a long ways to go before retirement, but I have time to write because I have two kids out of school and living their own lives, although my oldest daughter thinks I’m babysitting-Grandma, and my son thinks I should cater to him when he’s home from the army, ugh! And then there’s the teenage daughter who thinks life revolves around her, but I still find time to write. I teach full time, and I teach college classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights, and I coach Mock Trial, German Club, National History Day Competition and Model United Nations Competition. All these take place between January and April every year, so the rest of the year is writing time, although I do get some editing time in during those busy real-life-work months.

I don’t have a schedule, but I’m a work-a-holic, so I just make time, literally. Haven’t you all figured out how to rewind the clock yet? LOL

If for some reason you could not write anymore, how would you creatively express yourself?

Ugh, the only way I wouldn’t’ be able to write anymore is if I had no fingers to do, which means I have no idea how I’d express myself, but it wouldn’t be through art…but I do sing, although at times that’s a problem, too, since I have asthma. I talk ninety miles an hour, so teaching is the best job in the world for me aside for writing. lol
Beyond that, I have no idea what I’d do to be artistic…hmmm…something for us all to think about, I suppose.

2010 Interview Questions for Suspense by Anne (Please answer at least 10 or more)
Author Bio:
Rebecca Savage was born and raised in rural Missouri, but she left the small town when she joined the USAF and became a Morse Code Operator with a Top Secret SCI Clearance and flew away to basic training in San Antonio, Texas then on to Biloxi, Mississippi for special training then on to Italy where she was stationed for 5 ½ years.
Rebecca writes Contemporary Romantic Suspense because she lived it, and many of her stories she can relate to very well.
Rebecca has three children, one grandchild, and has returned to rural Missouri, but she is now a teacher of History and German at the college and high school level.
Rebecca hopes you like her work and would love it if you read her stories and emailed to tell her what you think: rebeccasavage@rebeccasavage.com

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always been an avid reader, and at the end of the summer of 2003 I finished my Masters in History and I started reading romance when a friend of mine handed me a book when I said I wanted to read something for fun after having to do all that non-fiction reading for my Masters. I read for a year then I was lying on the couch one day reading, and I thought, “What would I write if I write?” It would have to be romance but with a good, fast-paced storyline. I got up and sat in front of the computer and penned my first story that summer. It’s now published along with all my other works. I can’t imagine my life without writing now.
Tell us about your latest book.
My latest published book is a story called Guard My Body, and it is the second of a series of six, the first being Guard My Baby. The heroes are a group of ex-mercenaries who worked together for years, so they come in and out of my stories. So you get to know the secondary characters very well. The heroine is a librarian with a wild side. She is asked to insert Top Secret information in a missing tooth in her mouth and transport it for reasons you’ll understand if you read the story. lol
What inspired you to write this story?
I like reading and writing suspense, and the CIA interests me, and I have lots of friends who are librarians, and I worked with a clearance, and I was looking at information in my classroom about terrorism and crossing the border of Mexico, and I write a story revolving around all those elements.
How did you go about researching your book?
I didn’t have to do much research because of what I teach and what I did in the military, but I did have to look up some location information and specifics on who runs the CIA and how the levels of echelons an territory controls work.

Do you have anything new in the works?
I am working on the third of that series of six called Guard My Life, and I am also working on a fantasy called Dragon Fire, which is a working title right now, but it’s a dragon story based on Chinese dragon personalities and power colors and elements.
What is your writing process like? Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I am more of pantser than a plotter, but I figure out the basic storyline before I take off running, then it just comes to me. The dragon story is the most difficult because I’m out of my element, although I am incorporating military characteristics and FBI workings.
If you could be anyone of your characters, which one would you chose to be and why?
If I could be any one of my characters, it’d be the librarian. She lives the best of both worlds. She gets to work with books all day, hang out with a sexy CIA operative at night, and live out her wild side fantasy every new and then. lol
Say your publisher has offered to fly you anywhere in the world to do research on an upcoming book, where would you most likely want to go? (Okay so maybe this isn’t very likely to happen but since I’m asking the questions…)
Italy! Yes, I’ve been there before, but when you leave that country, you leave a bit of your heart behind. I want to go back. Badly. lol

You’ve just been informed that your latest release was a NY Times bestseller and Hollywood wants to turn it into a movie. What actors would you choose to play your main characters?
Wow! What a dream that would be! I’d choose Gerard Butler & Jessica Alba.
What type of books do you like to read when you’re not writing?
Anything Romance! But especially suspense and historical and dragons.
Name three things you can’t live without (excluding spouses and family because that’s a given).
Books, teaching, and fun in the sun!
What advice would you give to any aspiring writers out there?
Okay, put the tune to Finding Nemo with this line: “Just keep writing, writing, writing. Just keep writing…”

Where can we find you on the web?
rebeccasavage.com
Where can we purchase your book(s)?
You can link to any of them from my website. Just click on their covers.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Just please let me know what you think of my work. I’m always open to criticism. Well, I’ll pretend to be anyway. lol