Author Interview: Maggie Blackbird

About the author:
An Ojibway from Northwestern Ontario, Maggie resides in the country with her husband and their fur babies, two beautiful Alaskan Malamutes. When she’s not writing, she can be found pulling weeds in the flower beds, mowing the huge lawn, walking the Mals deep in the bush, teeing up a ball at the golf course, fishing in the boat for walleye, or sitting on the deck at her sister’s house, making more wonderful memories with the people she loves most.

What inspires you to write romantic fiction?
I love the connection between two people, the obstacles they face, and what they must overcome to be together. I'm a sucker for romantic relationships.

Tell us about how you write.
I always start with the idea first. Then a tag line. This gives me an idea of which direction the book will go. Then I write the blurb. Once that's done, I begin fast drafting. I usually set a word count. For Redeemed, it was 2k a day. Once I'm done, I go through and do a pass of three edits. I'm looking over the plot, the character arcs, chapter endings, scene endings, etc. I don't do a polish, though. Once I'm done, it's off to my crit partner. While my partner is critting, I begin working on the next book. I stop writing next book when I receive the crit back. I then begin tackling revisions. Once that's complete I begin polishing. When it's been polished to death, I then send it to my publisher.

Do you listen to or talk to to your characters?
I've heard of this but for me, they are figments of my imagination. I simply daydream about them.

What advice would you give other romance writers?
Butt in chair. Write. You can't edit a blank page.

How did you decide how to publish your books?
I wanted to find a publisher in my country since I'm from Canada. I'm new to publishing. A wonderful author friend recommended her publisher, eXtasy Books, so I submitted my first novel to them. I was accepted. I went this route because I wasn't sure how income tax worked, etc., if I contracted with another country such as the UK or USA. I'm very happy with my publisher.

What do you think about the future of book publishing?
As I said, Redeemed is my second book, so I'm still learning much about the publishing business. I don't feel I'm experienced enough to give an opinion on the future of publishing.

Which romance sub-genere(s) fit your stories best?
cultural, multicultural, contemporary, adult, spiritual

My books are available in the following formats:
eBook, Print