Interview with Sophie Pembroke

Storm Goddess Book Reviews proudly welcomes Sophie Pembroke to the interview hot seat today! Sophie, thanks for answering my questions! It's always fun learning about an author :)

How long have you been writing? How many published books do you have, and what genres?

I’ve been writing for years, but an A to Z of Love is only my second published novel – the first, Room for Love, was released from Lyrical Press in May. They’re both contemporary romances.

Do you write in multiple genres or just one? If just one, do you ever consider straying outside your genre?

I focus mainly on romance, because that’s my true love, but when I fancy a bit of a change I also write paranormal YA murder mysteries, amongst other things!

Are you a plotter or do you write from the seat of your pants?

I used to plot extensively, but these days I tend to concentrate more on making sure the characters are right. If I know the characters well enough, the story always falls into place.

What is a typical writing day like for you?

I wish I had one! At the moment, it’s the school holidays, so I’m grabbing any spare moment I can to work. Right now, I’m visiting my parent’s house, 200 miles away, and have persuaded my brother to entertain my three year old daughter, while my Dad cooks tea, my Mum puts final plans in place for a family party tomorrow, my nephew (hopefully) goes to sleep upstairs, and my husband tries to hide from all the chaos!

But from September, the daughter will be in nursery five mornings a week, we’ll have moved into our new house (with separate study! Hooray!) and I reckon I can get a solid three hours a day in Monday to Friday. So my typical working day will be getting as much done as possible in that limited time.

Who do you love to read? Favorite authors, favorite books?

I love reading romance – anything by Jenny Crusie, Victoria Dahl or India Grey. But I also love M M Kaye’s historical romantic epics – and her murder mysteries!

What is something you'd like to accomplish in your writing career next year?

I’m really hoping to sell the third book in my Love from Wales series to Lyrical. It’ll be a whole new romance, but also cameo the couples from the first two books. I love the idea of giving readers a glimpse of what happens next for them. I’m revising the book right now, so watch this space to see how it goes…

If you could have one paranormal ability, what would it be?

Mind reading. Think of the characters I could create then!

If you could keep a mythical/ paranormal creature as a pet, what would you have?
Unicorn. Hands down, no question.

Tell us a little about your latest release.

Mia Page has been the subject of gossip in Aberarian for half her life, ever since her father ran off with his secretary–and the contents of the local museum safe–when she was fourteen.
Still, Mia loves her hometown, loves working at the A to Z shop, eating seafood with her best friend Charlie at his restaurant, catching the classic midnight movie at the crumbling Coliseum cinema. And if she ever wonders if things might be even better if Charlie were more than just a friend, well, it’s only an idle thought in a lonely moment. After all, friendship always trumps romance, doesn’t it? And she’s never been one to rock the boat.
Charlie Frost moved to Aberarian two years ago, ready to start his dream life – running his dream restaurant, living with his dream woman in his dream cottage up on the cliffs. But Becky ran out on him, and now StarFish is losing customers, the cottage is falling down, and Charlie is forced to consider what’s really keeping him in town. And he thinks he knows the answer: Mia Page. But then he hears that Becky’s back – and she’s got plans for Aberarian.  Plans that would transform the sleepy seaside town forever.
As Mia and Charlie try to pull the people of Aberarian together to save the town they adore, Mia’s father reappears, and people start asking what he wants to take from them this time…


What is something that you absolutely can't live without? (Other than family members)

A decent internet connection! I love having a whole world of knowledge available to me, whenever I need it. And the ability to download books. Obviously.

Could you ever co author a book with someone? If so, who would you choose, and what would you write?

I’m not sure if I could. I tend to get quite deeply involved with my story and characters, and I’m not always very good at sharing.

If you could spend a day with anyone from history, dead or alive, who would it be, and what would you do? What would you ask them?

Nest, Princess of Deuhaubarth. I researched her for a book I’m working on, and found her fascinating. Born a Welsh princess, after the death of her father, Rhys ap Tewder, the last King of Deuhaubarth, at the hands of the Normans, she became the mistress of Henry I. She gave him an illegitimate son before he married her off to Gerald de Windsor.

While married to Gerald she came to the attention of Owain ap Cadwgan, who fell violently in love with her. He kidnapped her from Cilgerran Castle, breaking the truce with the Normans, but she secured the safety of her husband and children first. It earned her the nickname ‘Helen of Wales,’ as she was said to be as beautiful as Helen of Troy. Eventually, Henry I had to intervene to save his former mistress’s reputation. But it’s never been entirely clear if she fell in love with Owain, too… so that’s what I’d like to ask her, probably while revisiting the places she lived, and hearing all about how they were in her time.

What are some of your other hobbies outside of writing?

I sing in a local choir, which is really fantastic for letting off steam after a bad day’s writing. Just belting out some great songs is a wonderful relaxing technique!

If you were on the staff to have a book adapted to movie, what would you pick?

Shadow of the Moon by M M Kaye – it’s an incredible epic novel about British India in the time of Queen Victoria, and features one of my favourite romantic heroes of all time.

What is a talent you wish you had, but don't?

I wish I could play a musical instrument. Apparently the kazoo doesn’t count.

             Favorite color?

Purple.

Weather: Hot or cold?

Cold.

Favorite place to read?

Curled up on a really comfy sofa in front of a roaring fire, with a glass of wine, a soft blanket, and a cat.

Favorite meal

My sour cream chicken enchiladas. I got hooked when we visited my husband’s family in Texas.

Favorite non-alcoholic drink.

Tea. By the bucket load when I’m deep into a book.

If you could travel anywhere and do anything, no limits or money holding you back, where would you go?

I’d visit India, to see where my Dad was born, and where my ancestors lived.

*****
Everyone’s talking about Mia Page. Again.
Mia Page has been the subject of gossip in Aberarian for half her life, ever since her father ran off with his secretary–and the contents of the local museum safe–when she was fourteen.
Still, Mia loves her hometown, loves working at the A to Z shop, eating seafood with her best friend Charlie at his restaurant, catching the classic midnight movie at the crumbling Coliseum cinema. And if she ever wonders if things might be even better if Charlie were more than just a friend, well, it’s only an idle thought in a lonely moment. After all, friendship always trumps romance, doesn’t it? And she’s never been one to rock the boat.
But everything she loves is suddenly under threat from Charlie’s ex- girlfriend, Becky, and her plans to turn Mia’s beloved Coliseum into a casino, transforming the sleepy seaside town forever. As Mia tries to pull the people of Aberarian together to save the town they adore, she starts to find her own place in the community, a family of sorts, and maybe even love. Until her father suddenly reappears, and people start asking what he wants to take from them this time…
WARNING: Some sexual scenes. Also contains seafood.
*****
Sophie Pembroke has been writing romance for years, ever since she stayed up all night reading Mills and Boon novels as part of her English degree at Lancaster University. She loves to set her contemporary romance stories in the places she has lived – from the wilds of the Welsh mountains, to the gentile humour of the English country village, or the heat and tension of a London summer. She also has a tendency to make her characters kiss in castles.
Currently, she makes her home in Hertfordshire, with her husband and daughter. She writes love stories in her little spare room office, while drinking too much tea and eating homemade cakes. Or, when things are looking very bad for her heroes and heroines, white wine and dark chocolate.
Sophie keeps a blog at www.SophiePembroke.com, which should be about romance and writing, but is usually about cake and castles instead.

LINKS:

Web & Blog: www.SophiePembroke.com
Twitter: @Sophie_Pembroke - https://twitter.com/#!/Sophie_Pembroke 
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Sophie-Pembroke/134474999990027
Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=100003136928151 
Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5111053-sophie-pembroke 
Lyrical Press: http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=authors&authors_id=206 

Room for Love: http://sophiepembroke.com/love-from-wales-series/room-for-love/ 
An A to Z of Love: http://sophiepembroke.com/love-from-wales-series/an-a-to-z-of-love/ 
Love from Wales Series: http://sophiepembroke.com/love-from-wales-series/

Room For Love on Barnes & Noble

An A To Z Of Love On Barnes & Noble