Today we welcome Maddie James to That Book Place for an Interview. Maddie is the author of numerous Romance novels

That Book Place: First off, I want to thank you for taking the time to do an Interview for That Book Place.

Maddie James: Hi Frank! I'm very happy to do an interview with you and That Book Place. You guys are awesome!

TBP: Did you always want to be an author?

MJ: No. I wanted to be an archeologist. At least, in the fifth grade. Later, I wanted to throw pots. At one point I pondered the Peace Corp. All that was before I turned 16. Then reality set in and I went off to college to be a teacher (all the time reading lots and lots of books) and well, I did that for a long, long time. And one day, I threw a book I was reading across the room and said, "Okay, it's time to stop avoiding the inevitable. I like words. Let's see if I can string some together."

Seriously, I toyed with the idea for a long time before I started to seriously pursue the craft. That was twenty-five years ago and the bug is still biting. Hard.

TBP: What made you decide to write in the Romance field?

MJ: Honestly, you can blame that on Rhett Butler. I mean, the man had the audacity to stomp off and leave Scarlett at the bottom of that big long staircase crying her freakin' eyes out. The gall of that man! Did he not know that I was sitting there in that theatre seat, the fifth grader that I was (why is it always fifth grade with me?) and crying my eyes out BECAUSE HE LEFT SCARLETT! No, I would not stand for that. A happily-ever-after is what I sought, even at eleven-years-old, and, with God as my witness, I swore that no happily-ever-after shall ever go asunder, again.

Or something like that. Seriously, how can you not like a HEA? That's why I write romance.

TBP: Can you tell us who your favorite author is and what your favorite book is?

MJ: Oooh, favorites. No! I can't tell you, because I don't know! All right, if I must. I'm really partial to Sandra Brown. I love romantic suspense. And of course, Gone With The Wind is one of my very fave books of all times. I'm also still a sucker for Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks romantic comedy. Oh. You didn't ask me about movies, did you? Sorry.

I will just say that I adore Meg Cabot. I love Iris Johansen. And I'm really quite fond erotic romance author Tia Fanning.

TBP: Do you have any interesting experiences that have happened to you?

MJ: Interesting experiences...

1. I am owned by two cats.

2. I quit my day job. Now, that was interesting.

3. I flew for the first time at age 35--to Japan, sitting in the middle of a six-seat row with big, long-legged men other either side. That was an experience, too.

4. Occasionally, I ghost hunt. I swore it off the other night, but you never, know, I might take it up again.

5. I collect things, like: books (of course), sea shells, and ex-husbands.

TBP: What is your favorite thing that has happened to you as a writer?

MJ: Fan mail. I'm always amazed when I get fan mail! I mean, I interact with readers all the time on Facebook and Twitter, but actually getting a fan email, someone you don't even know, now...that's pretty cool. I'm always surprised and it's just really fun.

TBP: Where do you get your inspiration for your novels from?

MJ: Oh gee. Where not? The stories are all around me and sometimes I want to yell: "Make them stop!" But not really because I love having them all around me. Finding the time to get them all on the page? That's the problem. Phrases that could be a title inspire me. A picture. A feeling. I once wrote a novella from an idea I got from a science news article. Sometimes I don't know where they come from and it sort of feels like it's someone  else's story, I'm just the channel.

TBP: Do you do a lot of research for your novels?

MJ: Some books require more research than others. In May, I took a trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina to do some research for the 4th book in my Blackbeard series. The title is Wanderlust, and it's the story of Jeremiah Porter, the son of Claire and Jack in The Curse, the first book in the series. So yes, this type of book requires some research, and doing it on location is really fun. Mostly, though, I can research what I need from my computer. I do have some future books with Native American settings and people, and those come from experiences of working on the reservations.

TBP: What can we expect in the near future from you?

MJ: Besides Wanderlust, I have the 5th and last book in the Legend of Blackbeard's Chalice series to be released in 2011. This book, titled, The Chosen: Full Circle, features the hero and heroine from the first book--with a huge twist. Both of those books will be published by Resplendence Publishing. I also have a western romance novel titled Rawhide and Roses coming from Turquoise Morning Press next January. Projects in the works include the American Indian series, a ghost story trilogy, and a mainstream thriller. All of those have yet to be pitched to publishers, so let's keep our fingers crossed!

---

You can find Maddie online at her website http://www.maddiejames.com/