Spotlight on Elizabeth Rose

December 2002

Sharyn: As a devotee of Greek mythology, I was thrilled when Elizabeth was selected as our December Spotlight Author. Even more so when I was asked to interview her.

Elizabeth, thanks for chatting with me. I've been warned not to "interrogate" you. *g*. So I'll start with an easy question: have you always wanted to write?

Elizabeth: I've been writing since I was a child, but the novels started up when I was in high school. Some of my friends also liked to write, so we'd make up stories and pass them back and forth and write comments - which we had no idea at the time were really critiques.

Sharyn: The majority of your novels are set in Ancient Greece, when did your fascination with that particular time period begin?

Elizabeth: I have one book set in Chicago - Eden's Garden, and the other three, Kyros' Secret, The Oracle of Delphi and Thief of Olympus are all based on Greek myths and set in ancient Greece. As for the fascination - ever since Freshman year in high school I've been fascinated with mythology. And of course, when Xena and Hercules came to tv, that helped spur me on to write my first Greek myth based romance.

Sharyn: Do you think it's harder to research that time period than any other?

Elizabeth: Not really. Probably because I have my own method of writing. I love medieval, and my Greek myths, (like the Xena/Hercules shows) are written with a lot of medieval flavor. After all, who really knows what it was like 3,000 years ago?

Sharyn: Which god or goddess is your favorite? Why?

Elizabeth: Hmm, that's a good question. I suppose I should say Aphrodite, since she's the icon of love and I write romance, but I don't know. Actually, I don't think any of the goddesses rank higher than others with me. I tend to like the more unfortunate women of Greek myths. For example - Medusa is one of my favorites. I really like Pandora too. And of course, the Amazon women of mythology get my vote for being so strong. As for gods - Ares is my all time favorite through and through.

Sharyn:A woman after my own heart. *g*. Ares gets my vote every time. Is it harder to write strong, independent heroines if the novel is set in ancient times?

Elizabeth: Not if it's fantasy and set in a time when you have goddesses and Amazons. Then anything goes. But for a medieval, let's say, yes it is a bit more challenging. Women were treated worse than dogs back then, and if one ever spoke out she'd be whipped, punished or killed. But then again, we do write fiction here. That's why you'll see so many medieval heroines being strong and outspoken. I like that, and hence that's the way I write, even if in actuality it isn't really always accurate. But then again, you see heroes bathing all the time in medievals. Back then, they bathed only a few times a year and never washed their clothes. But I ask you - who would want to read that? Not very romantic, huh? That's why writers take the liberty of changing things here and there. We try to make it appealing, and that ranks higher than anything in my book.

Sharyn: Can you tell us a bit about your previous novels and your upcoming novels?

Elizabeth: Eden's Garden by Genesis Press is the story of a Chicago businessman who is left with a friend's Peruvian daughter intead of the money the dead man owed him. It was inspired by a trip I took to Peru years ago. I loved the culture and the people and knew I had to put it into my writing.

Kyros' Secret is the story of a fallen goddess and a man who has been cursed by Ares and turns into a centaur at night.

The Oracle of Delphi is the retelling of the story of Perseus and Andromeda and the slaying of Medusa. I've turned a few things around, still keeping very close to the original myth, and made it into a romance. Most Greek myths are tragic, but luckily enough, this one always had a happy ending.

Thief of Olympus is the story of an Amazon woman and a thief. In Kyros' Secret, my characters had to go down to Hades. So in this one, I decided to let them go up to Olympus and steal from the gods! Not an easy task for mere mortals.

As for upcoming novels - I am mainly trying to sell some of my finished novels to larger publishers at the moment. I have some great paranormal stories written that I'd love to see on the shelves. One has a dragon in it, and the other has shapeshifting and a male witch. I do have plans to write again after the holidays - as winter is really the only time I write. I can usually crank out two novels in the winter months alone.

Sharyn: Was it hard to write an Amazon heroine after the success of the television show Xena: Warrior Princess?

Elizabeth: Not at all. Actually, I think it helped. Thanks to Xena, fans are ready and waiting for the next strong female character. And since the show has been cancelled, maybe Xena fans will turn to my books instead. I love writing strong, spunky, brash, fearless heroines. I don't think I could write a true beta female (or male) even if I tried.

Sharyn: Who are some of your favorite authors? Did they influence your writing in any way?

Elizabeth: I love Anne Stuart's paranormals. She writes those dark, tortured heroes, and that's right up my alley. So yes, she's very inspiring to me. Show the hero the way guys really are - not flowery the way some women want to read them. It's exciting to write a hero that's sometimes less than heroic, but of course changes by the end of the book because of the heroine.

Sharyn: What's the one thing you know now about writing, you wish you'd known before?

Elizabeth: That it's not always fun and games, and you'll most likely not earn a living at it unless you're a New York Times best seller. A writer will put their heart into a book and breathe life into characters that they've created. Then the author is very vulnerable as she puts her books out there for the public eye and reviews. Everyone is different, and not all people like the same things. And then there's always the reviewer who will set out to prove your research wrong, even though you're writing fantasy. Like I said, an author sometimes has to take liberties with certain parts of her writing, and not everyone is going to understand. Still, there are all those fan letters I get from the truly appreciative people who are not out to ruin you - just happy that you write and entertain them and can't wait for your next book. That truly is the blessing of the whole business.

Sharyn: What piece of advice has influenced your life the most?

Elizabeth: Where writing is concerned - probably the best advice I've gotten is not to take things personally. The competition is tough out there, and rejection is a given. Persistance is the other side of the coin. Never give up. If you believe in something strongly enough, just keep trying to sell that manuscript or whatever it is you're aiming for, and eventually it will happen.

Sharyn: Why did you decide to publish with an independent publisher rather than one of the larger New York companies?

Elizabeth: Like I mentioned earlier, it's very competitive out there. Of course I want to sell to the larger publishers just like any author in her right mind does, if she wants to make a living at this someday. But it is a very lengthy process, and even longer since I'm acting as my own agent. So in the meantime - I decided to get some books out with smaller houses. But I've had good luck lately with the larger publishers, and can see selling to them sometime in the near future.

Sharyn: I've heard some New York published authors say that internet "schmoozing" doesn't really help their sales or bring in any new readers. Do you believe that internet promotion has helped your sales in any way?

Elizabeth: Of course. For those published with smaller presses, most the sales come from the internet. My three books from New Leaf Books are print on demand. No book store wants to carry a print on demand, so the best way to make sales is over the internet. It's nice too because I've had sales from other countries. If it wasn't for the internet, I'd never be meeting readers in far off lands at this point.

Sharyn: How does your family feel about your career?

Elizabeth: My husband and sons are very supportive of me. So are my relatives. They all want to see me succeed, and they are very proud to have a published author in the family.

Sharyn: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Elizabeth: Keep trying. Never give up. Persistance wins out. And above all else - don't let anyone break your spirit. Once you take things personally and let them affect you, you've lost. Just keep smiling, no matter what happens, and know that with your goal held firmly in mind, it has no choice but to eventually materialize.

Sharyn: What's the hardest part of writing for you?

Elizabeth: Right now - finding the time to write. As the kids get older, they get more involved in things which of course tend to involve me. I write sporatically. I won't write a word for six months, then I'll sit down and crank out an entire novel in a month. That's the way I operate.

Thanks for asking me for the interview. Anyone who is interested in reading sample chapters of my books can go to my website at http://scribesworld.com/elizabethrose/. Please sign my guest book while you're there. Also, watch for an upcoming contest I'm planning. I'd also like to mention, I write short stories for Echelon Press. My Nutcracker Soldier, One Red Rose and The Outlaw are all available as dollar downloads. You can find them at www.echelonpress.com. Thanks, and anyone wishing to contact me can do so through my website or email me at lizrose@juno.com.

Sharyn: Elizabeth, thank you for the lovely interview. Be sure to check out Elizabeth's site and her novels. You don't want to miss them.

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