RACHEL HARRIS joins the line-up for MCBF 2014
Rachel Harris grew up in New
Orleans, watching soap operas with her grandmother, and staying up late
sneak-reading her mama's romance novels. Today, she still stays up
late reading romances, only now she does so openly.
A Cajun cowgirl now living in Houston,
she firmly believes life's problems can be solved with a hot, sugar-coated
beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for
cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.
She homeschools her two beautiful
girls and watches countless hours of Food Network and reality television with
her amazing husband. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult Fun, Flirty
Escapes, and LOVES talking with readers!
To learn more about Rachel, visit http://www.rachelharriswrites.com/.
We are thrilled to have Rachel joining us. Read her interview here!
Patty Campbell
talks about the germ for a piece of writing being like the sand in the
oyster. What is your grain of sand? Do you begin with character or
setting or something else?
I always begin with my characters. I need to know their
flaw and their main story goal; only then can I start building around that. I
create huge backstories, determine their likes and dislikes, cast them in my
mind, and create story soundtracks based around their arc. My stories are very
character-driven.
Do you outline before you
write or just dive in?
I totally
outline. A LOT. I plot out everything I possibly can, and usually end up with
anywhere from 10-20 pages of detailed notes before I even type “Chapter One.”
But, knowing all that ahead of time, even while I do change it up here and
there, helps me write. I know what comes next, what I need to build toward, and
that gives me focus for the scene at hand.
One time, I
wrote a novella with a friend, and our deadline was super crazy. We had no
choice but to dive in. I drove that poor girl batty with my questions and need
to figure everything out while drafting.
Why do you write for Young
Adults or Children or Adult (whichever is pertinent)?
I write for YA and adults, and I love
doing both. For YA, it’s because all of those experiences are still with me
today. A decade later, I can close my eyes and remember every detail of my
first real heartbreak. The first person my age who had their life taken way too
young. Every song that came on the radio, and how I felt when I first heard it.
To me, high school and college years are about experimentation, finding
yourself, and firsts. While a lot of the world has changed since I was younger,
the heart of these issues is still the same.
For adults, I love writing for this
audience because it is my current experience. I know what it’s like being a
thirty-something woman in the world. While I’m happily married, I have friends
who are navigating the dating waters, and they confide how it’s changed from
when we were in college. It’s another chapter in our lives, and one I love
exploring. Plus, I feel my unique brand of humor comes across well in this
genre. I love romantic comedies!
It’s the dawn of the zombie
apocalypse, what 3 things are a must to take with you when you flee your home
for refuge from the undead hordes??
I’m taking my
iPad, regardless of whether or not I know if electricity will be available
where I end up lol. My Kindle on my iPad is my sanity! Please tell me
electricity will be there! Next, I have to bring my well-loved copy of Pride
and Prejudice. This is a book I read every year and will never grow tired of
reading. And, totally assuming my husband and girls are running with me, the
third thing would be the biggest bag of chocolate I can find in my pantry. If
I’m running from the undead, and the world is falling down around me, chocolate
will be needed to keep me from flipping out totally. It certainly works when
deadlines hit (*grin*).
Meet Rachel and the rest of the authors at the
on Saturday, February 15th
at Lone Star College - Montgomery.
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