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I love being an author. It’s all about where your characters lead you. I start with a general idea. As the story unfolds, I type as fast as I can in hopes I keep up with my characters. They have had me jotting on napkins, making notes while I’m waiting in a line, and waking me up in the middle of the night. The hard part is always the ending. My characters live with me and when I reach the end of the story, it is hard to say goodbye. Sometimes, I let the story sit for a few days to make sure I’m okay with them leaving home to get published. Kind of like when you kids move out. LOL
I enjoy my grandchildren, and the time I share with them. They make me smile with their antics. I like to quilt, crochet, knit and sew. Cooking and baking are occasional itches I scratch. The rest of the time, they are necessary evils. LOL.
My greatest support comes from my husband. He has been my sounding board for all my stories. My daughters are also a great support to me. I couldn’t do it without my family.
Virginia Barlow’s recent release is the paranormal romance, The Witch of Rathborne Castle.
You can visit Virginia’s website at https://www.virginia-barlow.com or connect with her on Twitter, Goodreads and Facebook.
Lady Jane Lenwood is abandoned and alone in an empty castle in the middle of a dark twisted forest. The locals call her a witch because she has the “sight.”
When a wounded stranger is found within the gates, she is warned he carries secrets and their lives will be intertwined.
Lady Jane walks with a limp following a riding accident the night her mother left her. And had given up on having a normal life. She blames her misfortune on the current Duke of Rathborne.
Max Radley is sent by the king to find a traitor. His search leads him to Rathborne Castle and the beautiful woman living there. He must keep his identity a secret in order to find the traitor.
Lies, deception, and a grand scheme to relieve him of his wealth have the real villians framing him for treason.
Only Jane and her supernatural ability can save him, but in order to find the answer she must face her past and the feeling she has for him.
PRAISE
The Witch of Rathborne Castle is a riveting historical paranormal romance from start to finish. I hadn’t read more than a few pages before I was hooked. The plot unfolds at a nice easy pace with descriptive narration and a heroine to root for. Lady Jane is a mysterious character and her backstory plucked at my heartstrings. Max is a hero on a mission. Can he root out the traitor? The stakes are high for both Jane and Max which added to the anticipation. I did find the obstacles Jane and Max have to face a little over the top. But with each obstacle, they drew closer as a couple. There’s a wonderful gothic vibe to this story. There are quite a few twists I didn’t see coming, especially near the end. I may have gasped a few times. The ending was so unexpected, I got a little emotional. The Witch of Rathborne Castle is an engrossing historical romance with paranormal elements I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Fans of both historical romance and paranormal romance will love The Witch of Rathborne Castle. Reminiscent of classical historicals romance from the ’90s, The Witch of Rathborne Castle will sweep the reader away. Highly recommend! – N.N.Light’s Book Heaven Five Star Review
We welcome you to My Bookish Pleasures! Can you tell us how you got started writing fiction?
My writing career began years ago when I wrote a series of alphabet insect stories for my kids to help them with their letters. I wrote stories such as Andy Ant, Betsy Bee, etc. It got a little sketchy when I got to the letter Q and a few other, but I figured it out. My kids enjoyed the stories as much as I did when I created them. Even the older would ask what new story I came up with.
Years later, when most of my kids were grown and gone, a particular fairytale rattled around in my head. I decided to write it and get it published. After several incidents, I finished it and sent it off the several publishing houses. I will never forget the day The Wild Rose Press offered me a contract on that story.
Describe your writing process. Do you plot or write by the seat of your pants? When and where do you write?
I am a plotter. I freely admit it. I plot the storyline and get the characters from point a to point b and then decide what I want to happen in between. I remember sitting at my desk contemplating l the ramifications of killing off one of the characters and my son asked me what was wrong.
I told him I was busy thinking about Sir Harold and my husband turned and said,” Kill him.”
It made me laugh and I did end up killing him.
I plan to write a minimum of two thousand words a day but sometimes life gets in the way, and it can be an entire week before I get back to my characters.
Can you tell us about your most recent release?
My last release is Coconut Macaroon Scandal. It is part of The Wild Rose Press’ Christmas Cookie Series and is a paranormal romance. Emma Davis must face her past and her family and she needs a fake fiancé to do it. She’s had no time to form any attachments and Gran’s ghost shows up to offer advice. Emma has no choice but to close her eyes and offer her proposal.
Sebastian Lewis agrees readily. He’s had his eye on this beauty for some time and jumps on the chance to get to know her. He wants to make their engagement real. She wants to survive the pending court case and her family. One situation after another follows until Gran’s ghost, once more, shows up to offer advice. This time, it’s all Emma can do to follow it.
How did you get the idea for the book?
I got the idea off a mem about a park bench and the caption. If you could talk to anybody here for an hour, who would it be? And my brain went living or dead? And is it a magical bench? And what if…?
Of all your characters, which one is your favorite? Why?
Sebastian Lewis is my favorite because he’s rich, handsome, a gentleman, honest, and a really good guy.
What was the most challenging aspect of writing your book?
The most challenging aspect of writing a book is getting beyond the fifteen-thousand-word mark. I find I reach a slump between ten thousand and fifteen thousand and I must take a break and put the story on the back burner for a bit.
What projects are you currently working on?
I am in the middle of Devil’s Dominion, a medieval romance about a band of rogue warriors led by Dragos, famed to be a devil, and his seven disciples who abduct a lady and her noble father as they travel through the forest to sign her marriage contract and present her dowry to Baron Oliveander, a powerful lord and her newly acquired fiancé.
What advice would you offer to new or aspiring fiction authors?
Keep writing. Don’t take rejection personally. Listen to what that editor is telling you about your story and fix it. And keep writing.
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