Interview with author Roseanne Dowell

Stopping by the Martini Lounge today is Roseanne Dowell, author of Stranger on the Shore and the upcoming release Double Trouble.  She’s talking to us today about her inspiration behind Stranger on the Shore, a little about her process, and what she does when not writing.

Book Martini (BM): Thanks for stopping by, help yourself to a drink. Why don't you start with telling us a little about yourself? 

Roseanne Dowell (RD): Hi, I'm first and foremost a wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother.  Since my husband is retired and my children are grown, I get to spend a lot of time writing, with the exception of weekends when the house is often filled with visitors-which I love.

BM: Do you consider yourself primarily a romance author?

RD: Even though my romances have other elements, yes, they're romance through and through.

BM: What was the inspiration behind Stranger on The Shore?

RD: We used to go to a cottage along the shores of Lake Erie and I often wondered what it would be like to live there during a storm. Many of the homes we passed were isolated and I daydreamed about living there. Being from Northeast Ohio, I'm very familiar with Lake Effect Snow and how quickly a storm can stir up on Lake Erie. One thing led to another and walla the story.

BM: I live right on Lake Superior, so I know what you’re talking about with that Lake Effect snow and some of those nasty storms. I think we can both agree the Great Lakes can have sea-style storms.

BM: How long have you been writing?

RD:  Since forever – LOL. Writing and submitting seriously since 2002

BM: What got you interested in writing, and what inspired you to write your first book? 

RD: Even as a child I made up stories. I was always an avid reader - starting out with Nancy Drew, graduating to Phyllis Whitney and Victoria Holt. I used to daydream about writing.

BM: Now for the eternal question that I’m sure every author is sick of. Pantster or Plotter? 

RD: Definitely a panster. I tried plotting once. I'm still stuck on the story for over two years, and it's developing rather slowly. I can't get that plot out of my mind and it wants to go in a different direction.

BM: What comes first: the plot or the characters?

RD: Sometimes the plot other times the character. It depends what sparks the story.

BM: In Stranger on The Shore, you’ve chosen to write about a hero with no memory. How did you decide to use that plot element?

RD: I didn't, the character did. That's the great thing about the Muse. I just got the idea of  her finding a body and the characters took off from there. I usually know the beginning and end, what happens in the middle is as much a surprise to me as it is to the author.

BM: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

RD: I love to quilt and embroider. Combining the two is my favorite. I've made embroidered quilts for all my grandchildren and put them away for when they have their first child. I've been blessed to give one away already.

BM: What are your current books out right now and what are the books coming up for release?

RD: Satin Sheets was my first book, but it's no longer in print.  Double the Trouble will be released in May 2011 - (mystery romance);  A Second Chance - release date in June (older heroine); May I Have This Dance - July (sweet romance); Connections of the Mind - September (paranormal); And We All Fall Down -December (mystery romance); and It's Only Make Believe - December 2012 (a rewrite of Satin Sheets)

BM: Wow! With all that in the pipeline, sounds like the next year not only can readers expect a lot from you, but you’re going to be a very busy lady. Thank you for stopping by the Martini Lounge and hanging out with us today. I do hope you’ll come again, next time I’ll play a little Julie London for you.

Review: Stranger on the Shore

 

Title: Stranger on the Shore

Author: Roseanne Dowell

Publisher: Museitup Publishing

Publication Date: March 2011

ISBN: 978-1-926931-39-5

Genre: Romance

Length: Short Story

Buy Link  

Rating (1-5):  3.5/5 Martinis

Heat Level: Vanilla Martini(Sweet)

Blurb:

Author, Jordan Blake lives in a house along Lake Erie. She’s a recluse and likes it that way. No interruptions while she’s writing. At least not until that day in October when an early lake storm brews up. Not that she minds snowstorms. Far from it. She loves them. While she’s on her deck securing chair cushions and chairs, something along the rocky shoreline catches her eye. A body? Hard to tell from where she stood. Not being one to ignore someone in need, she rushes across the yard. It’s a body all right–a male’s body. Thank God he was alive, but unfortunately unconscious. After much pulling, rolling and pushing, Jordan manages to get him to her house and finally inside.

Both of them are soaked down to their skin. Jordan can’t leave him in his wet clothes, so sets about removing them. The stranger sparks something in her she thought was long dead.  Trying to ignore her feelings, she dresses him in an old bathrobe from her ex-husband. Unfortunately when he comes to, the attraction grows.  Jordan tries to ignore what she feels toward the stranger, but his kisses awaken something in her.  Something she’d rather wasn’t aroused. To make matters worse, the stranger doesn’t have any idea who he is.  For all she knows he might be a mass murderer.

Review:

In Ms. Dowell’s Stranger on the Shore, she offers readers a quick and skillfully written romance. While the hero is supposed to have amnesia, it is written in a way that proves to be effective, and dare I say, not a trope. The heroine, Jordan is portrayed in a way that gives her depth beyond being a lonely writer taking in a man she doesn’t quite trust. My only complaint is that it is too short. I have the feeling that if the story had been a bit longer, the reader would’ve had the opportunity to delve further into these two character’s respective pasts and seen a more progressive movement into a relationship. Beyond that, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

(*Book provided by author for an honest review)