Margaret Ethridge Interview & Giveaway

Hello Margaret Ethridge. Thank you to taking the time to stop by. I am honored to have you here. You can read Vicky's review of Paramour here.

Thank you so much for having me. I’m excited! This is my first book interview!

To start would you mind telling the readers a little about yourself?

Let’s see... I was born and raised in central Illinois. I’m the youngest of seven children, which means I was equally tormented and spoiled rotten. I lived the Chicago and the suburbs for nearly twelve years before moving to Arkansas. My name was literally drawn from a hat to win a trip to a conference in Virginia, where I met a sweet-talking, brown-eyed man from Arkansas, and the rest is history. Now I speak with a bizarre accent that is a mixture of flattened Chicago vowels and a southern drawl.

Could you tell us a little about Paramour and what we can expect from it?

Paramour is the story of a young woman who is torn between her love for a man she can never have, and the possibility of a new love with no guarantees. It’s a love story on many levels. Camellia Stafford lost her mother when she was very young. When her father passes away suddenly, she must come to terms with both her grief and the feelings she has for Frank DeLuca, the ghost trapped in the light fixture above the bed in her childhood room. Her father’s neighbor, sexy ad-man Bradley Mitchum, throws himself into the mix, pursuing Cam with single-minded determination. Along the way, Cam deals with the loss of her father, the rediscovery of her mother’s legacy, and learns that sometimes the best way to love someone is to let them go.

In Paramour you really were able to get the emotion and loss to come through in the story and affect the reader. Have you lost someone close to be able to write that so well? If so, how do you feel writing something so personal into your books?

Oh, wow. Thank you, that’s the best compliment! I have to admit, I didn’t really think about it in those terms when I was writing Paramour, but I did lose my father 1998. His passing was very sudden, and anyone who has experienced that kind of loss knows the fog of pain and grief one feels is palpable. For myself, I remember the little moments when my friends or family made me smile and laugh. I think knowing that you will laugh again is the biggest part of surviving grief – it’s like finding a little nugget of you buried under all those big boulders of sadness.

It wasn’t a conscious choice to use it in my writing, but I’m sure that some of that grief seeped into Cam’s story. Losing a parent is something that shapes you forever. For many women (like Cam and me) the loss of your father is the loss of the first man you ever loved.

Did you find it hard to write strong emotions for Paramour? (Frank is such a strong manly character, but his love for the heroine comes across so well without making him weak. And Camellia has several emotional 'break-downs' over the loss of her father and dealing with Frank, yet none of the scenes feel forced and all convey the emotion so well. It is very impressive.)

Thank you! You should see the giddy grin on my face for a display of emotion!

All human beings are ruled by emotion. It’s human nature to try to control our emotions, but we don’t always succeed. When I write I try to step into each character, feel what they are feeling, and guide their actions accordingly. I think the key to writing emotional scenes is definitely a ‘less is more’ approach.

In Paramour, Cam is all about trying to keep things under control, but she’s a simmering mass of confusion. The two men in her life are complete opposites. Frank is the gruff, grumbly guy with a soft spot, and Brad is the sensitive artist with more than his share of swagger. What woman could resist either of them?

When did you know that you wanted to be a writer? Was your family and friends supportive?

I am a reader, born and raised in a family of readers. I was one of those people who said, ‘Someday I’m going to write a book,’ but I never really attempted to write until about four years ago. Then I passed one of those milestone birthdays, and decided it was time to go for it.

My friends were the ones who pushed me to write. One close-knit group of friends in particular. (Pardon me, while I give them the squinty-eyed stare) Without their unflagging support, I doubt I would have made it through the first chapter.

As for my family, my kids are in their teens and early twenties with their own busy lives, but I think they think this whole book thing is cool. My husband was a little baffled by it at first, but now he’s totally on board. Most of my extended family didn’t know that I was writing. I think it was a shock for them, but they are very excited for me.

What or who influenced you the most in your writing career?

I would say my friends have influenced me the most. They know me, they know what I want to say, and they aren’t afraid to tell me when I stray from the path.

In terms of authors; I think most of us want to be as successful and prolific as Nora Roberts or Janet Evanovich, but I think the author who has most impressed me lately is Sarah Addison Allen. I want to write as beautifully as she does one day. I’ll keep working on it.

Many of our viewers are aspiring writers, do you have any writing tips to pass along?

I’m not sure I’m qualified to give advice, but I’ll give it a shot. There are many, many ‘rules’ I didn’t know about when I began writing. The learning curve can be overwhelming. I say: Learn them, use them, but don’t take them too much heart. You’re not doing things wrong; you just have to learn how the rules work for you and your voice.

What is next for you? Can you share anything regarding your current work in progress?

Wow! So much is happening! My first short story, Concourse Christmas, was published in November 2010 as part of Believe: Christmas Short Story Anthology 2010 from Turquoise Morning Press.

Readers seemed to embrace Jack Rudolph and Ellie Nichols, the two hapless travelers who met while snowed in at the airport in St. Louis. Because people were asking for more of Jack and Ellie’s burgeoning love story, I wrote two more installments that are posted as free reads on my website (www.margaretethridge.com), and another short story that will appear in TMP’s upcoming Valentine’s Day anthology: Be Mine, Valentine.

My next novel, Contentment, was chosen to be the first book released by Turquoise Morning Press’ After Happily Ever line! It will release in June 2011.

Contentment is the story of Tracy Sullivan, a woman who has lost the thread. She has everything: a loving husband, three beautiful children, a home, and a career, but she just isn’t happy. Tracy blames her marriage and her husband Sean for derailing her dreams. For over two years, Tracy and Sean lead separate lives in the same house, unwilling to divorce and unable to deal with the petty resentments that built over a decade and a half of marriage. Tracy finds inspiration in a fictional love story, and tries to figure out how her own romance has gone so wrong. That’s when she discovers that while happiness may be fleeting, contentment can last a lifetime.

In progress? I just completed another manuscript tentatively titled Spring Chickens. It’s the story of a widower and a divorcee from very different walks of life who meet and fall head over heels in love. Bram and Lynne’s story proves that romance isn’t just from spring chickens and when it comes to love, fifty could be the new thirty.

Currently, I’m writing a spin-off from Contentment, that I am calling Commitment, which will tell the story of Sean’s brother, Tom, and Tracy’s friend, Maggie. I also have three or four other plot bunnies hopping around in my head trying to get out – one of which could be a follow-up to Paramour.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I tend to be long-winded. Did you notice? Seriously, thanks so much for the opportunity to talk with you and your readers. This is a very exciting time for me, and I’m so grateful for everyone who has taken a chance on me! Thank you again and happy reading!

Margaret is giving away a copy of Paramour to a winner. Please leave Margaret a question to be entered. Contest ends January 21st at 11:59pm EST and the winner will be announced on January 22nd.