Welcome, PL Parker

Welcome, PL, to From the Pages. I am so happy you're able to take time from your busy schedule to visit with me! I've got lots of questions, so if you don't mind I'll get right to them.

Where do you write?

I am a sneaky writer. I keep a screen open at work and whenever an idea comes to me, I flip over to the screen and write it down. At the end of the week, I send my ideas home so that I can sit down and put them all together. Works really well for me and I can pretty much fill 4 or 5 pages of single-spaced typed pages every week, depending on my workload.

Did you always know you wanted to be an author?

Actually, no. I dabbled in writing for years, but only started truly writing in 2006. I was always telling my husband these stories I made up and he kept telling me I should write them down and once I got started, the ideas just kept coming. Besides being a legal assistant, in my spare time, I was a dance teacher, choreographer and performer for many years. I am also quite crafty, which has fallen by the wayside now that I am writing. I used to sell many of the things I created, fairy gardens, Christmas wall hangings, that sort of thing – not good at scrapbooking, too tedious and nerve-wracking.

Does your family support your writing career? How?

My husband is my biggest fan. He is the one who builds my confidence when I sometimes feel inadequate or struggle to keep my motivation going. He reads everything as I write it and is excited every time I give him the next chapter to read.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

I'm currently working on a vampire story, along with probably every other author in the country, with Twilight coming out.

How long did it take to write?

I started my story in February. So far, I've finished my novels in about 6 to 8 months each, but this one has taken me somewhat longer. I am at the end of the story, though, and am excited to put in the finishing chapter.

Who is your favorite author? Favorite book?

My favorite author(s) are Christine Feehan and Sherrilyn Kenyon. I love paranormal and rarely read anything else – which could be why that is the genre I choose to write. I love any of the books Feehan writes that deal with the women who have the special powers, although her Carpathian series is great too. As to Kenyon, I love the stories about the gods and goddesses.

If you had the choice of being stranded on a desert island or lost in a huge city, which would you prefer and why?

I certainly would prefer the huge city. At least, I could find a restaurant and eat and visit with strangers if I wanted to. That is something I can relate to, not living by myself. I talk to myself enough as it is – imagine how I'd sound on a desert island!! Hee hee.

In the house—shoes or bare feet?

The minute I walk in the house, the shoes go!

Do you have a pet?

I have three right now. Two huge cats and my little darling – Biddy, my toy poodle, who is like an extra foot. If I'm in the house, none of the males exist. They are okay until I'm available and then they're dirt.

Do you believe in extraterrestrial beings?

Most certainly. Don't want to meet one, but I believe!

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

I would say to write with passion, pick subjects that make you feel what your characters are feeling, be it good or bad. I think my early years acting gave me an edge on that aspect. I mentally act out what each character is doing or feeling when I am writing and how they would react to situations. Really helps me set the stage.

Thank you so much for visiting today. I know I've enjoyed learning about the lady behind the stories, and I know readers did, too. I hope you'll consider visiting again!

Readers, PL has generously offered a copy of Riley's Journey to one lucky commenter, so comment away and maybe yours will be the randomly chosen name! Check back to see if you're the lucky winner!

Riley's Journey can be purchased here.

Learn more about PL Parker and her work at: Links are www.thewildrosepress.com; fictionwise.com; www.amazon.com. My personal links are www.plparker.com; plparkerblogspot.com and www.myspace.com/mrsplparker

Aimee's Locket Blurb:

The antique ivory locket was the key! Exquisite and enchanting, it drew Aimee like a magnet. Though the locket cost every spare penny she had, it was money well spent – or so she thought!

Catapulted back to the year 1847, Aimee finds herself alone in St. Louis, Missouri, the jumping off site for the Oregon Trail. The much touted slogan “Go West Young Man” takes on new meaning. Seattle, her home in the present, was a distant dream, and unless she found a suitable male willing to marry, Aimee would be left behind when the emigrant train departed, bound for the Oregon Territory.

Jake Marshall, scout for the Markham Party, was the perfect, if unwilling choice. Undaunted by his overt rudeness, Aimee entices Jake to the alter, promising her diamond earrings as payment for a marriage of convenience. Properly wed, she thereby secures passage on the wagon train, and embarks on a chain of events that would ultimately culminate in the far reaches of the great American West.