About the Author
Rumer Haven is probably the most social recluse you could ever meet. When she’s not babbling her fool head off among friends and family, she’s pacified with a good story that she’s reading, writing, or revising–or binge-watching something on Netflix. A former teacher hailing from Chicago, she presently lives in London with her husband and probably a ghost or two. Rumer has always had a penchant for the past and paranormal, which inspires her writing to explore dimensions of time, love, and the soul. Seven for a Secret is her debut novel.
What inspires you to write romance books?
Quite simply, I love a love story. I love to delve inside my characters to see what makes them tick and who makes their heart beat. Love is a great motivator and common goal, and we never know to what lengths, good or bad, a person might go to attain it. Even though every romance ends happily ever after (or at least happy for now), there’s any number of journeys that a character can take to get there, and forging original pathways is a great challenge to any writer’s creativity.
Tell us about how you write:
I’d say my writing process is a mix of method and madness. It always starts with pen and paper; as the bud of an idea comes to me, I scribble out any and all thoughts that stem from it so that I can ultimately step back and try to see a pattern. From there, I start with a back-of-the-envelope outline, but I like to the keep the rest organic once I take it to the computer. It’s good to know my general direction, but I want flexibility along the way in case the characters start demanding that things happen differently or I write myself into a hole. It’s critical to remain adaptable; if I were to keep myself to a strict outline, down to the last detail, my creativity (and the joy of the process) would be smothered.
Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Yes, they give me no choice but to listen! I might start out with certain intentions, but at some point, the characters’ voices come into their own and they’ll say or do something that begs me to write them differently. I’ve had minor characters become major ones in this way, which has taught me to always listen to them.
What advice would you give other writers?
Push the boundaries of convention. Learn the rules so you can break them. In writing, there’s such joy in finding your own voice and staying true to what it has to say, especially if it means offering readers something fresh versus formulaic.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
There’s certainly a sense of validation that comes with being accepted by a publisher, and bearing its imprint is a privilege if you appreciate its catalog as a reader. But I also wanted to go with a publisher so that my manuscript could benefit from a full suite of editing and design services (and not at my own expense). Regardless of whether you publish or self-publish your work, however, as an author you’re going to bear the brunt of responsibility for its marketing. And self-publishing also offers control over the process and pricing, so I’m still considering it for future books. But I would never self-publish a book that hasn’t been professionally edited, so anyone exploring this option should definitely invest in such a service to make sure you’re putting the best version of your work out there.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Man, with all the changes we’ve just seen in the last few years, I don’t know if I can predict what else is to come! I don’t think ebooks will ever completely replace print books, but I am curious to see to what extent small, independent presses and self-publishing will influence the big publishers to adjust their business models. Authors are gaining control as gatekeepers lose it, it seems, which can be both good and bad. Good if it means good stories can see the light of day even if they can’t promise a big bottom line, and bad if poor-quality work (be it the writing and/or editing) dilutes the market as the publication process becomes more informal.
What genres do you write:: Adult romance and women’s fiction (contemporary, historical, and paranormal)
What formats are your books in: Both eBook and Print
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http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8379833.Rumer_Haven
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http://twitter.com/rumerhaven
http://www.pinterest.com/rumerhaven/