Today I am speaking with Claire Cross/Claire Delacroix.

Hi Claire! And welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews! It is great to have you with us today. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to answer questions for us. The readers would love to hear something about the writings of Claire Cross/Claire Delacroix.

Claire, I imagine your days are relatively busy. I wandered through your website and found it absolutely stunning. I adored the Great Hall and the way everything is constructed. You are a very talented and prolific author. It has been a good while since I read The Snow White Bride and the characters still swim to mind at times. You do form characters that seem to stay with the reader long after the book is finished.

Thank you!

Would you like to begin by telling us about the two different writings of Claire Cross and Claire Delacroix?

Well, I write historical romances as Claire Delacroix and have for quite a while. I seem to do a lot of trilogies - maybe because I like them! - and have mostly written medievals, probably because my history degree had a focus on Medieval Studies. It's a period that I find interesting, because so much was changing in western society. It's also a period I strongly associate with fairy tales - a favorite theme of mine - and one that supports fantasy elements quite well - another favorite detail of mine. I first wrote time travels as Claire Cross. Because they were half-contemporary and because they were published by a different publisher, the idea was that I should write under a slightly different name. That way, readers would know what they were getting. This was in the late 90's and fantasy romance wasn't as strong a sub-genre as it is now, so as Claire Cross, I started to write contemporary romances. And that's the current distinction between the two.

Why not tell the readers what we can look for in the future from Claire and any upcoming releases?

I took some time off in 2006, and the result of that shows up in the 2007 schedule. I have one release scheduled for 2007 - that's the fourth and final Coxwell book, ALL OR NOTHING, coming in April from Berkley Sensation. There are a number of things that will be out in 2008, but titles and dates are still being firmed up. You can check back at either of my websites for more info, or subscribe to my listserve for monthly updates. It's on Yahoo groups and is called Chestwick: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chestwick/.

Would you change anything about your writing?

No! I love writing and I love telling my stories. There's nothing more fun.

Well, maybe I'd change time, so that days were longer. Then I could write more stories and let more of the characters in my head have their time on the page.

What is your favorite part of writing?

My favorite moment in each book is when the characters "come to life". This is when I'm typing along, thinking I'm in charge of the story and pretty sure where it's going, but something entirely different falls out of my fingertips. The characters take charge, saying or doing something I didn't expect, and leading the plot in a different direction than anticipated. I've learned to trust this, because the characters usually have really good ideas. Plus it makes the writing even more fun, by turning it into a journey of discovery for me, just when I thought I had it all worked out.

Do you miss your characters when you are finished with their tale?

I don't usually miss the main couple, because I've seen them work through all their issues and come to their own Happily Ever After. I often miss the secondary characters, especially if their stories are ongoing or unresolved, because I want to have a chance to make them happy too. Rosamunde is a classic example of this, as is Elizabeth - I'm still trying to figure out a way to tell their stories so they leave me alone! (Once characters take on a life of their own, they can be demanding.) LOL!

What was your reaction when you got your first contract?

Well, I was just a little bit excited. {g} The great thing was that the editor had called when I was out and she'd left a message. I knew she hadn't phoned to tell me that she hated the book, so I screamed and bounced around and got all the excitement out of my system. Then, I called her back, all professional and calm. I don't think she was fooled. {g}

Do you have any unfinished projects sitting around?

Lots of them! I have more ideas than time, and more partials written than have ever sold. I think, actually, it would be a bit scary if I sold them all. I'd have to write a book a week to deliver them all on time!

Do you have a character that is especially close to your heart?

I'm always smitten with the hero of my current manuscript-in-process. Right now, that's a shapeshifter dude named Quinn, a very intense and sexy piece of business. (Yummy, yummy, yummy.) And there's a cop named Adam Montgomery in an unsold futuristic of mine who lurks in my thoughts - he's hanging out in the shadows, wondering when I'm going to get back to revising his story. Soon, Montgomery, soon.

How would you pen the perfect vacation?

Once upon a time, there was a writer who finally took a vacation with her husband. They discovered a wonderful town, filled with fabulous restaurants, walking trails, fascinating old architecture and the largest knitting wool store on the planet. Each morning, the writer wrote; each noon, they ate a yummy lunch; each afternoon, they walked on the hiking trails then went to the knitting store, where the writer bought pure cashmere in every color of the rainbow for half-price; each night, they had a yummy dinner then talked in the moonlight while the writer knit. It was a magical vacation in a magical place - the writer's book almost wrote itself, the knitting almost knit itself, the days seemed to last forever but no one got older, and no one gained any weight, despite all the yummy meals.

Do you have a favorite song that you could listen to over and over again?

I am a huge fan of Queen and Freddie Mercury, and listen to Queen all the time when I write. The music isn't distracting to me, probably because I know all of the words (!), and their music has a lot of energy. Maybe it even makes me type faster.

Do you outline your stories or just go with the flow?

I do outlines, because that's how work gets sold. It's not an intuitive process for me and I had to learn to write them. Now that I have, I find that the synopsis can be quite useful in revealing plot problems in advance. I still hate them, though, but I know that they're useful. {g}

Have you ever written a screenplay?

No. I don't know the first thing about screenplays or scripts, but I'd love to write one. One of these days...

For Fun: Who is your favorite actor?

I like actors who try different things, risky projects that might not make them any money or fame. Johnny Depp is the best at this, but recently I've noticed Rufus Sewell taking on some different roles.

Again, your website is quite lovely. Readers who have yet to view Claire’s website, please visit her at: http://www.delacroix.net or http://www.clairecross.com.

Thank you so much for sharing time with us today, Claire. Anyone interested in reading more about Claire and her great books, please visit her website to read more about her wonderful works. It has been a pleasure Claire, and I wish you the best with your writing. I do want to say the backdrop in your picture, on your website, is a lovely setting. It looks quite cozy.

That's Tantallon in Scotland, with Bass Rock in the distance. We were there in February and arrived about 15 minutes before they closed. Not a lot of time to look around, but the light from the sunset was gorgeous. It was a great day.

Interviewed by: Linda L.