Interview & Contest: Inara Scott

Jen: Today we are happy to welcome Inara Scott to Romancing the Book.  Inara, will you please share a short bio with us?

Inara: I was born in the lovely -- but cold -- city of Buffalo NY. While I loved it there, I am perpetually cold, and a bit of a whiner, so I knew I had to head south. I went to Duke University for my undergraduate, and then proceeded to wander around the country, somewhat aimlessly, until I came to Portland, Oregon, where I fell in love and decided to stay. I practiced energy law for ten years before leaving my job to write full time. Right now, I’m doing a mix of writing and contract work, and I’m enjoying myself immensely!

Jen: Tell us about Radiant Desire and where is can be purchased.

Inara: Radiant Desire is an adult romance about a beautiful faerie who must seduce and break the heart of a mortal man, or lose her wings -- and her soul -- forever. It can be found at most on-line retailers in e-book form, and you can order it in paperback from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Jen: At what age did you discover writing? When where you first published? Tell us your call story.
Inara: I started writing at a very young age, and actually wrote my first romance novel in high school. But I’ve always been a very practical person, and somehow found myself in law school rather than living as a starving artist. I ended up practicing law for ten years, and rediscovered my love of writing around year 5 of that journey.

I wrote two Regency-set historical romances before I wrote my first YA, which was my first sale. Along the way, I garnered well over 100 rejections from agents before I found someone young and silly enough to take me on. We revised my YA novel for a few months before sending it out to publishers. My agent called me at work about two weeks later. I was in a meeting and went outside to take the call, convinced it was an early rejection. When she told me the news I almost passed out. Not only had we sold, but it was a two-book preempt with a dream editor. When I was no longer seeing stars, I said "accept! Please!" Then I called my hubby and cried.

Jen: Are there any other writers, published or not, in your family?

Inara: My cousin is the real writer of the family - she writes beautiful literary fiction. But it doesn't always have a happy ending, so I can't always read her work! I am VERY particular about my happy endings.

Jen: How do you approach your writing? Do you plot or go with the flow?

Inara: I am very much a plotter. I think and think and outline and storyboard, and eventually write a fairly detailed synopsis before I start writing the book.

Jen: How do you remember ideas that come to you at odd times?

Inara: I have little notebooks that I carry around everywhere I go! I also keep notes on my cell phone. Whenever I hear a cool name, for example, I add it to a list on my cell.

Jen: What is it about the romance genre that appeals to you?

Inara: Oh, I absolutely believe in true love and happily ever after, and I have a hard time distinguishing between the written world and the real world. When I write romance, I get to live falling in love over and over again. It's very wonderful.

Jen: How much influence does the editor have over the story or characters?

Inara: A great editor helps sculpt and refine the author's vision of her story and characters. I adore my Entangled editor. She finds the core and essence of the story and polishes it and helps make it accessible to the reader.

Jen: If you could travel back in time for one year, what time and place would you choose? If you could only take 3 things with you, what would they be?

Inara: My three things would be my husband and 2 kids. I couldn't live without them! Or if we could pause time, so my kids wouldn't know we were gone, I'd just take my hubby. ;) I wouldn't go too far back in time - I love reading about history, but the reality is tough lives for women, drafty castles, and heavy skirts. So I’d maybe try for the seventies. I’ve always wanted to wear some real bell bottoms. As for place, I would love to live in New Zealand, or perhaps on a farm in Scotland. Somewhere I could have a horse. I adore horses.

Jen: What’s next for you?

Inara: I’m working on the next book in the Handmaid series right now -- it’s Mina’s story, and I think this may be my favorite hero I’ve ever written. :-)

Jen: Where can you be found on the web?

Inara: Oh, all over! My website is www.inarascott.com, and I’m on Facebook and Google+ as well. But my first love is Twitter! I love to chat and make new friends -- you can find me at @inarascott

Contest details:

• The prize is an ebook copy of Radiant Desire.
• The contest is open to readers over the age of 18.
• You must leave a meaningful comment for entry.  This means your comment needs to be more than "please enter me in the contest".
• A valid email address needs to be included in your comment.  If you're worried about spam, please modify your address, such as admin.bookblog AT gmail.com.  You can also send a message to this email after your comment has been posted.
• While following the blog isn't required, it is appreciated.
• The contest ends on Sunday, November 13.

Purchase Links

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