Fallen Angel Reviews would like to welcome the award-winning author, Karen Wiesner. Thanks so much for taking the time to sit and chat with us.

Karen, you truly amaze me. I have read your works and you are an impeccable author, with so many titles to your credit.

Thank you—how sweet and humbling!

Is there a particular upcoming release that you would like discuss with us today?

UNDER THE SPELL is the fifth book in my Incognito Series. It’ll be available in trade paperback and electronic formats October 1, 2007 from Whiskey Creek Press.

I love all things series, so it’s a very rare thing for me to write a single book that has no connection to others I’ve done. That was the case with the first book in the Incognito Series, NO ORDINARY LOVE, winner of the 2007 EPPIE in romantic suspense; 2006 CAPA nominee; recipient of A Perfect 10 review award from Romance Reviews Today; and 5 star reviews from Huntress Reviews, Lighthouse Literary, The Romance Studio and Coffee Time.

Many years ago, I had an idea for a story that utterly intrigued me. What if a woman had only a handful of memories—vague and troubling ones of a dark, cold and wet night and gunshots—and she remembers nothing else before the age of five, before a certain man entered her life? Since that fateful night long ago, all she knows is her nightmares and this man loving and keeping her sheltered from the world. What if this man had the answers to her past but wouldn’t give them to her? What would compel him to do the things he’s done to keep her previous life a secret? NO ORDINARY LOVE was born with that concept, and, once I wrote it, my Incognito Series was instantly spawned.

The series premise is based on the world’s most covert organization, the Network (fictional, of course!), with underground headquarters in Chicago beneath a front technology company called ETI. Having unchallenged authority and skill to disable and destroy criminals, the Network takes over where regular law enforcement leaves off in the mission for absolute justice. The price for that justice is high, requiring the life of every man and woman who serves—no turning back. Once you belong to the Network, there’s no escape. There is no life and no love, only duty.

Readers entered the Network with UNTIL DEATH DO US PART, Book 2, which was a blast to write…and incidentally was a 2006 eCataromance reviewer’s choice nominee and received 5 star reviews from Lighthouse, Coffee Time and five angels from Fallen Angel Reviews. I combined Network operatives’ Kirsten Ulrick and Ash Barnett undercover mission (and secret relationship) of protecting Raven Harris from her seemingly invisible enemy with Raven’s broken marriage and the loss of her son. Romantic relationships between two Network operatives, or an operative and a civilian, are strictly forbidden by Network superiors. The consequence for an operative caught—a bullet in the brain.

BOUNTY ON THE REBEL’S HEART (Book 3) continued where UNTIL DEATH DO US PART left off with Raven Harris’ journalism partner in hiding with evidence he uncovered on a dangerously corrupt man of power with connections to the Network. Network operative Natalie Francis goes undercover, posing as Reb’s former lover, investigative journalist Adrienna Kelly. But Reb and Adrienna’s relationship was nothing if not complicated. Add that Natalie is losing her heart to Reb and seriously considering escape from the Network, and you’ve got a story that’s non-stop action. BOUNTY also racked up quite a few 5 star reviews.

With DEAD DROP (Book 4), again, I was intrigued with a compelling concept. The heroine, Perry, is an FBI agent. She lost the man she loved years ago to what appeared to be an accident. Just before his death, he was approached for recruitment by a covert government agency. Now, 25 years later, Perry’s son is approached by the same covert agency. Perry is determined to both find the man she loves and to protect their son from the same fate. DEAD DROP has received 5 star reviews and a FAR Recommended Read.

That brings us to the 5th book in the series, UNDER THE SPELL, where cowboys and spies set the scene for this sexy, fun, emotional novel about a Network operative thrust back into her old life to discover who killed her rancher father and why. The last thing she expects it to confront the cowboy she’d run from directly into the Network’s arms as a teenager…a very man who may have murdered her father.

You write in so many genres. Are some harder than others? Do you have a favorite?

I write women’s fiction, romance, mystery/police procedural/cozy, suspense, paranormal, futuristic, gothic, inspirational, thriller, horror and action/adventure. I also write children’s books (fiction and nonfiction), poetry, and writing reference titles such as my bestseller, FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS, available from Writer’s Digest Books, and the forthcoming companion, COHESIVE STORY BUILDING (Fall 2008). Writing nonfiction is very hard for me, and it’s not something I love to do, but it’s something I feel compelled to do nevertheless. My heart is in writing fiction. When it comes to genre, I have no strong preference for what I write, just as I have no strong preference for what genre I prefer to read. I love to read horror/thriller, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance, gothic, paranormal, children's books/YA, action/adventure/suspense, classic literature...I read in pretty much every genre. Right now, I can’t choose my favorite writing genre because I’m enjoying myself so much with each one. Bottom line, there are worlds to discover everywhere, both in reading and writing. Besides, writing a different genre keeps me refreshed, since I don’t think I could stand to write in the same one always.

How fast can you write these wonderful books that keep us spell bound?

With most projects, I brainstorm on a single book for years before I outline it. I *always* outline novels, sometimes just jumping into the writing for novellas but usually outlining those, too, just to make sure I’ve got a solid story from start to finish. A scene-by-scene outline generally takes under a week to complete. I research between projects as much as I can, so I don’t take up my writing time with it. The actual writing of the book takes a month for a novel, a week or two for a novella, though I’ve been known to write 100,000 word novels in 2 weeks. With all the kinks worked out in the outline stage, the writing is the easy part. My first draft is almost always final draft quality, just needing minor editing and polishing. I can write quite a bit per year, working this way. The secret to my success, of course, is contained in FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS. But learning how to be organized in this way was no easy task. I used to be a hopeless, seat-of-the-pants writer, starting and stopping projects long before they were finished. So if I can learn how to be organized and continuously write quality books fast, I think most anyone can.

Do you write on a schedule or as inspiration hits?

With the number of contracts I have to fulfill in the next few years (and the ones I hope to get), I have no choice but to schedule my writing carefully. I write 5 days a week. As soon as my son is off to school, I plant my butt in my office and get to work. It usually takes the full morning to write what I’ve planned to for the day (3 to 4 chapters), then I have half the afternoon to complete any promotion, etc. Ideally, I try to write about a year ahead of my releases now, and this helps immensely in making sure all my deadlines are met with time to spare. I got behind this summer with an unexpected project (COHESIVE STORY BUILDING, and selling it to boot), but I’m working steadily since school started. Working so far ahead of releases gives me time to set projects aside and get my ideas rolling again if something just isn’t working with a particular story.

What is your best quality as a writer?

I suppose my discipline and the way I’ve set up my writing system. The way I see it, there are several, very distinct stages in writing a book. They include:

1) Brainstorming
2) Outlining
3) Setting the outline aside
4) Writing the story
5) Setting the novel aside
6) Editing and polishing the story

Working in stages is essential for me for many reasons. Brainstorming occurs, most ideally, over a period of years before I have enough details accumulated to begin an outline. Once the outline is completed, allowing it to sit for a couple of weeks—or even months—before writing the first draft is, again, absolutely essential. The next time I pick up my outline, I want to have a fresh perspective so I can evaluate if it really is as solid as I believed it was when I finished it. I also see more of those connections that make my story infinitely cohesive after I’ve had a rest.

Another reason for setting projects aside between stages is that writers always reach a point where their motivation runs out and they may simply want to get away from it as fast as they can. With every single book, I get to rock bottom and I’m convinced that if I ever see it again, I’ll tear it to shreds. Setting it aside between the various stages the project goes through really gives me back my motivation (and love!) for it in spades. I’m always amazed at how much better I can face the project again when I haven’t seen it for a week or even a month or two. I fall in love with it again. The next stage in the process becomes easier, too, and that helps my writing to be much better.

Also, the more books I have contracted, the more I seem to need these breaks in-between stages, or even when I feel a project isn’t working. If I put it on a backburner for an extended period of time (as long as I can possibly allow and still meet my deadlines), amazing things happen over a low flame. By the time I return to it, I find myself bursting with new ways to fix the problems I couldn’t pinpoint when I was too close to and sick of it.

I honestly don’t know how a career author could do anything else and still meet deadlines without constantly burning out or facing writer’s block.

Where do you get all these ideas for your books?

The real question is, where do I not get ideas? They seem to come at me from every direction. From people watching, from writing books, from reading books, from dreams—I’ve gotten more than a few from a compelling dream that stayed with me even after I woke up.

Do you have any bad writing habits?

I don’t have any that aren’t correctable with a little work. For instance, I’m sometimes lazy when writing the first draft, figuring I can flesh the writing out more during the editing and polishing. I also have a tendency to be sparse with descriptions (especially of the setting kind). I go back in during editing and polishing to make sure I’ve got what I need or I add more. Having critique partners helps a lot, since they usually see things I don’t.

In your opinion, what are the three most essential ingredients of an excellent novel?

Great characters, great plots and great settings! What else is there?

If you could be a character in any Disney Movie, which movie would you choose?

Toughie! I suppose I’ve always had a soft spot for Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother. I’d love to be able to wave a wand and make everything all right—but at the same time, requiring something from the person I’m blessing (Cinderella had to watch the time or she’d end up in ashes!), since I firmly believe that funny old saying “God helps those who help themselves.”

Have you ever completely finished one book then suddenly decided you wanted to change the ending?

So far—fortunately—this has never happened to me. I’ve always been very satisfied by what I come up with before it’s published and I can no longer make any changes.

What can the readers expect from your talented fingers in the future?

My 2007 upcoming releases include:

UNDER THE SPELL, Book 5 of the Incognito Series
THE POWER OF PROMOTIONAL GROUPS (coming Fall 2007 from Twilight Times Books)

Before the end of the year, I’ll be completing the following:

-Writing, revising and submitting RENEGADE’S ROSE, Book 6 of the Incognito Series (coming March 2008 from Whiskey Creek Press)
-Writing, revising and submitting “Dancing to the Grave”, Book 3 of the Woodcutter’s Grim Series (to be included in the series collection coming September 2008 from WCP)
-Outlining, writing and revising UNDERCOVER ANGEL, Book 7 of the Incognito Series (coming October 2008 from Whiskey Creek Press)
-Writing, revising and submitting SHADOW BOXING, Book 2 of the Family Heirloom Series
-Writing, revising and submitting ROMANTIC NOTIONS, Book 4 of the Falcon’s Bend Series with Chris Spindler
-Outlining, writing and revising “In Cahoots With Cupid” and “Behind Amethyst Eyes”, Books 2 and 3 of the Kaleidoscope Series
-Outlining FOOLISH GAMES, Book 3 of the Family Heirloom Series
-Outlining WHITE RAINBOW, Book 6 of the Wounded Warriors Series
-Writing, revising and submitting FALCON’S BEND CASE FILES, Volume II stories
-Writing and revising LOVE IS BLIND…AND IT DON’T PAY THE BILLS EITHER, Denim Blues Mysteries: Book 2

I track my progress here

You have just been chosen to go to Disney World in Florida. What ride to you think will be your first to enjoy? What ride you do think you will stay away from?

I’m a wimp. I went on the carousel with my nephew last year, and I thought I would die before the end of it. Everything is too fast for me. I avoid these things at all cost. Luckily, my husband is just a big kid and loves going on these rides with my son, which frees me up to continue my wimp ways.

What is your favorite late night snack?

While I’m not big on snacks, I do like to have nachos on the weekend—after I’ve had my walk. I’m a huge cheese head! Put it on pancakes, waffles, eggs, peanut butter bread… I love it!

You are on a picnic, which do you go for first hot dog or hamburgers?

Definitely hamburgers.

You wake up one morning to learn you are a farmer and have to plant. What crop would you begin planting on your farm?

After researching how to do this, you mean? LOL, well, a girl has to eat. I guess I’d go for corn.

Do you have another website, other than www.karenwiesner.com that you would like to share?

www.falconsbend.com (Falcon’s Bend Series, mystery/police procedurals I write with Chris Spindler)

www.JewelsoftheQuill.com (the award-winning promotional group I formed back in July 2003)

www.firstdraftin30days.com (the bonus website for FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS)

Karen, thanks for taking time out to answer our questions today. We look forward to hearing more from Karen in the future.

Interviewed by: Linda L.