The Mysterious Rebecca York

Sometimes things just don’t go well.

Rebecca is a fellow member of two of my writing groups. Knowing the interview/blog was coming up, I had my husband snap a photo of the two of us at a party we attended together. Rebecca wore this drop dead elegant faux leopard coat, I was in my holiday best. The photo he got had my hair standing on end and both of us in the midst of smiling. We ended up looking as if we were gnashing our teeth! I called Rebecca and told her we couldn’t use the photo and she laughed. Her husband, who is an excellent photographer, apparently hadn’t gotten a good shot of her that day either. Oh well. That’s life, and I’m sure rotten photos plague bestselling authors even more than they do me. After all, how often have I been in the paper compared to the incomparable Rebecca York? Glad she could send this lovely photo of herself instead.

Doesn’t she look mysterious against that black background? I couldn’t let Rebecca get away without asking her a few questions today! She graciously set aside some time to let me ask away.

Before I forget, please make sure to leave a comment in order to be entered to win a copy of Rebecca’s newest Harlequin Intrigue, Her Baby’s Father.  (You can gain two extra entries by also posting a comment at KissAndThrill.com and by following this blog.)

Diana: You’re known as one of the premier authors in romantic suspense, how did you start writing in this genre? What drew you to it?

Rebecca:  My first published book was a kids’ science fiction novel called INVASION OF THE BLUE LIGHTS.

Then a friend asked me if I wanted to write romances. I love relationship stories, but I
wanted that danger element too, so I proposed a romantic suspense series that everyone turned down. (Some said, “We like this. Put in more suspense.” Others said, “We like this. Put in more romance.”) It turned out to be just what Dell was looking for in the mid-80’s, which got me in on the beginning of modern romantic suspense.

Diana:  What other genres did you start out in? Do you ever long to go back to them?

Rebecca:  As I said, I started with science fiction. In a way I’ve gone back to it with all the paranormal I write. I’ve also written 15 cookbooks, but I’m too old for all the physical labor of recipe testing.

Diana:  Your characters are unforgettable. You write your male characters, many of whom are paranormal creatures, in an exceptionally believable way. What is your secret to making them seem so real?

Rebecca:  I think it’s making them as human as possible. Giving them the emotions, fears and conflicts that we all have. They may have superhuman traits, but we can always identify with their feelings.

Diana:  What is your favorite flavor of ice-cream? Sprinkles? Nuts? Whipped Cream?

Rebecca:  This is hard. I love chocolate but also coffee and strawberry. Also peach if I can get it. I don’t like a lot of goop in my ice cream. Just plain, please. I will admit that when we were in Italy last May, we often had gelatto instead of lunch.

Diana:  Your husband is so visibly supportive of your career — he’s awfully cute, too! So many female writers — and women in general — don’t have that kind of support. Any words of advice?

Rebecca:  Naive me at the age of 18 picked the right guy. Apparently I could recognize quality when I saw it.

Diana:  Congratulations on the Romance Writer’s of America Centennial Award, for having written over 100 novels! A little birdie told me you’ve written way more than that. How many novels have you written and what does the award mean to you?

Rebecca:  Hum, I guess I’ve written about 115 or 120 novels. And those cookbooks. I think of the award as recognition for a lot of hard work.

Diana:  I should also say you’ve been awarded Mentor of the Year by the Washington Romance Writers.  Thanks for all your hard work on the behalf of writers everywhere!

You’ve been on the USA Today bestseller’s list forever — and I mean that in a really good way, and now a NY Times bestseller, too . How did it feel the first time it happened? How does it feel when it happens now? How many books must sell to get on that list?

Rebecca:  I have no idea how many books it takes to get on the lists. How did I/ do I feel? Excited. It’s always wonderful to know people like my work. And I’m hoping they want to read my Decorah Security series that I’m publishing as e-books. They’re already up on Amazon and B&N.

Thanks so much for being my guest, Rebecca. Wishing you much success with your new book!

So, tell us your favorite type of suspense hero and you may win a copy of Rebecca’s newest Harlequin Intrigue, Her Baby’s Father.  (You can gain two extra entries by also posting a comment at KissAndThrill.com and by following this blog.)

Please come by tomorrow when I post the winner and talk about life, death, and Arlington National Cemetery.