I remember standing in my library, searching through the endless rows of books, trying to find something good to read.
I tilted my head to the side to read the name- TERRI BRISBIN. When I pulled the book out, Surrender To The Highlander, the cover snagged me. When I read the pages in side, her writing hooked me and I have been a follower ever since.
I hope you will enjoy this interview and please, if you have never read one of her books, I encourage you to do so!
Today I’m interviewing Terri Brisbin. Her book, HIS ENEMY’S DAUGHTER is a historical romance from Harlequin and was released on March 1st.
Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.
This is the final book in my Knights trilogy and the three books all tell the stories about three illegitimate knights and one noble one who were raised together and then fight for William the Conqueror in his conquest of England in order to gain lands, titles, wealth and…wives! Sent to gain control over the most dangerous lands in William’s new kingdom, they must first survive long enough to find success and love.
Soren Fitzrobert, ‘the Beautiful Bastard’, had been left for dead after the Battle of Hastings and survived by on the need for vengeance against the man who destroyed all that he was. When only his enemy’s daughter remains alive, becomes his target.
Sybilla of Alston has lost all—her family, her home and now her eyesight as her father’s enemy captures her keep and her. She never dreamt that such a scarred man could tempt her mind, her body and her soul. As war ends, can they each find the person they should become or remain victims of their past?
Describe the genre of this particular title, and is the only genre you write in?
This is a historical romance. I also write historicals with paranormal elements for Kensington Brava.
When did you start writing toward publication?
Although I’ve always written something, I began to write with an eye to getting published in the mid-1990s. That’s when I realized I had ideas for romances, so I began to network with other romance writers to learn more about the industry and the market.
Did you have several manuscripts finished before you sold? If so, did you send them out yourself?
My first published novel was actually only my second completed manuscript, so I was lucky! I did send out my first and second manuscripts to editors I’d met at a romance writers’ conference and had been gathering information about agents when I got the offer from Berkley for my first time travel novel! I hired an agent because I believe that a published author, looking at this as a career, should have an agent as her/his business consultant and representative.
Why have you become a published author?
Well, I sought publication for my work because I wanted to share my stories with others AND to make money from my work. That’s really what being a professional writer is about – making money by reaching an audience with your work.
Do you have any rejection stories to share?
I did get a rejection on that first-sale manuscript the month after it was published! I’d sent out a proposal to a number of editors when I first started with it and this particular editor rejected it almost 30 months later…when the book had just hit the shelves! So, that one didn’t sting as much as the others.
One word of warning to potential published authors out there – I’ve received far more rejections on my work SINCE I got published than before I did. And when I went searching for a new agent, I was rejected by more than 20 agents in a two-year period. Getting published is only the first step—staying published is sometimes and in some ways the more difficult part of this business!
Routine? Um….I don’t have a routine. I don’t write daily, unless massive amounts of emails count. I am a deadline-binge writer who can write huge amounts of words and pages when I have a deadline. As it gets closer, I write faster and more. Usually it takes me months to write the first 100-150 pages and then I write the rest in the week-two weeks prior to my deadline.
It’s not pretty! I don’t recommend it to others, but it’s how I create and produce my work. Deadline=production for me.
But, I am highly-distractible so anything new or shiny grabs my attention, especially new ideas for new stories, so staying on task during those binges-o-writing is difficult, too!
What sort of promo do you do? Do you have help?
I do lots of different things – I have a website, I blog a couple times a month (more during release months), I do book signings and events, I speak at conferences and meetings, I send out an email-newsletter, run website contests and a pay for some promotions on/by internet romance communities.
Other than a wonderful webdesigner, I don’t have help…which is why I’m usually late in sending out blog/chat/web prizes!
Something else I’m trying is releasing a previously-unavailable-in-digital story to use as a sample of my work—I’ve put KIDNAPPING THE LAIRD, a fun, sexy, short, historical, Scottish story published in print in the MAMMOTH BOOK OF SCOTTISH ROMANCE up for sale in digital formats at Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Sony, Kobo and Diesel ebooks. It’s doing very well so far!
Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?
Actually, the most rewarding this about being published is hearing from or meeting readers who have read and enjoyed my work. When I meet with readers’ groups and they know my stories and my characters, it is such a thrill!
Are you a member of any writing organizations and, if so, have they helped ?
I belong to several writing organizations – Romance Writers of America, several chapters of RWA including my ‘home’ chapter of NJRW, and Novelists Inc., along with a number of research groups and general writing groups, too.
I credit NJRW and its members with teaching me most of what I needed to know to get my book into the hands of someone who would and could publish it. I joined in 1995, before the explosion of information on the internet, and learned more in five minutes of chatting with published authors at that first meeting than I had in months of my own research! Those authors were so open and informative and helpful, they really did help me. And they supported me through the dark times of rejections as well as celebrated with me during the high points.
Now, years later, I look for different things from organizations than I did before publication, so groups like Novelists, Inc. are a big help and a wonderful resource.
Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract?
Well, I would remind writers that writing for commercial success and writing for personal validation (so they can be called ‘published’) are not always the same thing. Writers need to have career goals and do what they need to do to attain those goals. Writers seeking commercial success need to remember that this is a BUSINESS and need to make business decisions about their creative product – not an easy concept to accept or practice!
But, really, writers need to be writing and reading. Focus on creating something worth publishing, learn your craft, learn it better, and write more. Don’t be worrying over how you’ll promote your writing UNTIL you actually have something written and close to selling. The writing is really the only part of this business we can control, so never let it be second or third on your list of priorities or your to-do list!
And most of all, remember that everything we write is moving us forward in our writing skills. If a project isn’t getting you that contract, move on and write something else. I’ve realized that my first manuscript didn’t sell for good reasons and I know that each project I complete makes me a better writer.
What’s next for you?
My next release is a short digital-only story that’s part of an upcoming Royal Wedding celebration from Harlequin. WHAT THE DUCHESS WANTS is an April 1st release from Harlequin Historicals/Harlequin Mills&Boon online.
Then the last of my STORM trilogy will be out in July from Kensington Brava. MISTRESS OF THE STORM, will be available in trade and digital on June 28th. It’s a great story and brings the three stories to a wonderful conclusion!
I’m working on a new series for Harlequin Historicals – I’ve gone back to my popular HIGHLANDER stories and am writing about their children, now grown and falling in love. I don’t have release dates or titles, but I think the first one (due in June) will be out sometime early 2012 with a Harlequin Historical UNDONE short story to introduce it a month prior.
Thanks so much for inviting me to talk about myself and my writing! I hope readers will stop by my website – www.terribrisbin.com – for more info about everything and to see my upcoming releases, beautiful covers and event info. Thanks Sarah!
BOOK BLURB
A warrior’s rebellion
Once overwhelmingly irresistible to women, Soren Fitzrobert’s life was changed forever by a brutal wound. Now Soren has come to wreak revenge by claiming his enemy’s daughter.
A fierce retribution
Left temporarily blind by his invasion, innocent Sybilla trembles before the scarred barbarian. But it’s not entirely out of fear....
A sensuous redemption?
Forced into marriage, Sybilla must surrender to Soren’s seduction, one sense at a time. And Soren is drawn evermore to the woman he intended only to use....
The Knights of Brittany
Born to conquer...and seduce!
A little bit about the author:
Terri Brisbin has been writing romance fiction since 1995 and has more than 25 historical and paranormal romance novels, novellas and short stories published since then. When not living the glamorous life of a romance author in the southern NJ suburbs (or pining over Gerard Butler), Terri spends her time being a wife to one, mom to three as well as a dental hygienist to hundreds.
A National Readers’ Choice Award finalist, three-time RWA RITA® finalist, and winner of the NJRW Golden Leaf and Desert Rose Golden Quill, Terri is now working on more romance novels and novellas for release through 2012 from Harlequin Historical and Kensington Brava. You can visit her website for more info about the author and her work or to contact her: www.terribrisbin.com.
How can my readers buy your book?
Readers can go to my book page on my website for links to purchase any of my books through various online and physical booksellers:
http://www.terribrisbin.com/books/index.php.
You can find more information about everything Terri Brisbin by visiting my website:
http://www.terribrisbin.com.
