Tracy Montoya (www.tracymontoya.com)

Word Association

1. Editor Galleys

2. Chicken Soup

3. Education Loans

4. Conferences Wine

5. MySpace Time-sucker!

6. Shakespeare Sonnet

7. Jellyfish Cooooooooooool

8. Season Fall

9. Frank Magazine (See, there's this guy named Frank at my day job who is in charge of this project aimed at getting magazine publishers to convert to recycled paper. ... Never mind.)

10. Pencil Eye (You don't want to know....)

Clever Questions

1. What do you like best about writing for Intrigue? You know, when I first started writing romance, I THOUGHT I was a romantic comedy writer. But oddly enough, I kept throwing dead bodies into the middle of my story--and dead bodies really aren't that funny. At least, most of the time.

So I eventually went dark with my fiction writing, and Intrigue offered me a home shortly thereafter. I love that we can basically write a compact single-title thriller or mystery, and the editors rarely tell us we're being too creepy, or too suspenseful. The scarier and more edge-of-your-seat our stories are, the better!

Oh, and I still toss in the occasional inappropriate outburst of dark humor into my books, and they let me do that, too!

So long story short, I love the flexibility Intrigue offers. Everyone seems to think that there's some sort of template for writing category romance that we all get out and follow, but that's not the case--especially not with Intrigue. You really can push the boundaries when you write for this line and throw in all kinds of crazy plot twists, freaky characters, etc.

And I love READING Intrigues, which is important, I think. I'm a big proponent of the idea that you really should be an enthusiastic reader of the kind of book you want to write.

2. What's your favorite word and why? This question reminds me of Mr. Robson, one of my English teachers in high school, who used to tap his fingertips together and pronounce everything "splennnnndiiiiiiid." He often said that "splendid" was his favorite word, with "alacrity" a close second.

I rather like "vociferous." It reminds me of my family. : )

3. Having published a good number of books, is there anything that still surprises you about the business? You know, I only have eight books under my belt, and I still feel like a relative newbie sometimes! I think what surprises me most is when someone publishes a tried-and-true plot, like a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, or the story of two people who switch bodies/lives, or the serial killer/woman in jeopardy plot. You have this idea that you have to be wholly original (or that's the myth--it really does seem to be true that every story has been told before!), but editors and readers turn again and again to new, fresh takes on old, favorite plots. It's so interesting (and fun!) to me how we tell the same stories again and again. And the coolest thing about it is that they're still a joy to read.

Take my friend Berta Platas, who wrote her own version of the Cinderella story, but with a Latina twist, called Cinderella Lopez. Even though we all know that Cinderella gets her prince in the end, Berta's book is so surprising, because of the fresh way in which she handles the story and her brilliant characterization.

I can make myself insane over trying to come up with a plot NO ONE HAS EVER DONE BEFORE, and honestly, it's an impossible task. So reading a book like Cinderella Lopez is always a great lesson that no one tells a story the same way, so no matter how often a plot element has been recycled, every writer is going to make it into something wholly new.

Unless you're Jayson Blair, I guess.

4. How is journalism different from fiction writing? Um, I can't make stuff up? .. (Being that I'm not Jayson Blair, anyway.)

I think I'm a much faster writer when it comes to my day job as a nonprofit magazine editor, because the deadlines come fast and furious--so I have to be as a matter of self-preservation. I tend to mull over an Intrigue plot for weeks, and work it, rework it, wrestle around with it, and beat it into submission--all in my head. I don't have the luxury of being able to indulge in a lengthy, internal pre-writing process with my nonfiction articles. Consequently, I'm a lot better at turning off my internal editor with a short article on, say, fair trade coffee farmers, and just spewing something out on paper.

Another big difference, process-wise, is that fiction readers expect more of the same from you, but different. I think anyone who has read a few of my books and picks up another one would expect some kind of twisted, creepy psychological suspense with an emotional romance folded into it. If I suddenly cranked out a romantic comedy with no serial killers or rogue mafia dons or gang leaders with vendettas in it, I'd definitely disappoint and possibly turn off some readers who turn to me for a certain type of book.

With journalism, on the other hand, our readers expect something wildly different every time. So one day I might be covering an environmental justice case in Tennessee (think Erin Brockovich with people of color), and the next, I'll be writing about how to throw an eco-conscious wedding!

It's a good job for someone with a short attention span like m-- ... Hey, what's that sparkly thing over there?

5. In May you were part of the Women, Words and Wisdom Blog Tour. Can you tell us a little about that? My first book was part of Kensington's now-defunct Encanto line, which was a line of category romances written by and about Latinas.The line didn't last long, but the friendships among the authors did, and we still keep in contact by email. We also created a list on Yahoo--NuncaSola--for any Latina writer wanting to virtually hang out with other Latina writers. It's not just for romance writers, but some prominent mainstream fiction writers and even a couple of New York editors have joined us.

Every so often, the NuncaSola writers launch a blog tour to publicize our books together--and just because we find it fun. The Women, Words, and Wisdom tour took place around Mother's Day, and it was just a way of celebrating our writing, and the general creativity and fabulousness of women. Every day, one of us posted a fiction or nonfiction piece loosely tied to our theme, and then directed readers to the next stop on the tour. We gave away prizes, too!

We did a blog tour last Christmas, too, and I'm sure we'll do another one this holiday season, if not before then.

Anyone interested in joining NuncaSola can apply through YahooGroups or email me at TracyMontoya @ aol. com

6. Do you have a writing routine? I WISH I did! But with a demanding day job, two preschoolers, and a husband who can sort of be like a third preschooler sometimes (bless his heart.), I just cram it in when I have time.

I'm really hoping that when the next contract comes, I can downsize my day job a little so I can make constructing a writing routine--and bringing some rhythm and regularity to my fiction output--a priority.

7. What advice would you give an unpublished writer? Something I don't always follow--write every day, even if it's just one crummy paragraph. When you exercise that writing muscle regularly, the process becomes so much easier. Ideas flow faster, words come together better.

I have a friend who, inspired by something in Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, has a note stuck to her computer monitor that simply reads, "Sh*tty first draft." You have to give yourself permission to write the worst dreck in the world and just let go and write. Because having SOMETHING on the page to play with is always SO much easier than staring down a blank screen waiting for inspiration. Sometimes, you just have to go tackle inspiration and put it into a headlock until it cooperates.

Writers write. They don't talk about writing. They don't just go to writing conferences and workshops or read books on writing. They write. You have to actually write, and you have to do it a lot.

8. If you were a red jelly bean, what flavor would you be and why? Grape. Because I'm a red jelly bean, and I don't like to be predictable. I'm just contrary that way....

9. What question do you wish we would have asked you? How does it feel to hit the New York Times bestseller list, and do you wish you were home in the US celebrating instead of in your vacation home in New Zealand?

10. Is there anything else you can share with our writing community? The Intrigue authors have a blog to which I contribute regularly, and all during the month of July, we're doing a "blog blitz" where we're giving away books daily to people who comment.

You can visit us at www.intrigueauthors.com/blog.asp.

I have my own random and rather quirky blog at www.tracymontoya.blogspot.com.

Tracy Montoya (www.tracymontoya.com)
Word Association
1. Editor	Galleys
2. Chicken	Soup
3. Education	Loans
4. Conferences	Wine
5. MySpace	Time-sucker!
6. Shakespeare	Sonnet
7. Jellyfish	Cooooooooooool
8. Season	Fall
9. Frank	Magazine (See, there's this guy named Frank at my day job who is in charge of this project aimed at getting magazine publishers to convert to recycled paper. ... Never mind.)
10. Pencil	Eye (You don't want to know....)
Clever Questions
1. What do you like best about writing for Intrigue?	You know, when I first started writing romance, I THOUGHT I was a romantic comedy writer. But oddly enough, I kept throwing dead bodies into the middle of my story--and dead bodies really aren't that funny. At least, most of the time. So I eventually went dark with my fiction writing, and Intrigue offered me a home shortly thereafter. I love that we can basically write a compact single-title thriller or mystery, and the editors rarely tell us we're being too creepy, or too suspenseful. The scarier and more edge-of-your-seat our stories are, the better! Oh, and I still toss in the occasional inappropriate outburst of dark humor into my books, and they let me do that, too! So long story short, I love the flexibility Intrigue offers. Everyone seems to think that there's some sort of template for writing category romance that we all get out and follow, but that's not the case--especially not with Intrigue. You really can push the boundaries when you write for this line and throw in all kinds of crazy plot twists, freaky characters, etc. And I love READING Intrigues, which is important, I think. I'm a big proponent of the idea that you really should be an enthusiastic reader of the kind of book you want to write.
2. What's your favorite word and why?	This question reminds me of Mr. Robson, one of my English teachers in high school, who used to tap his fingertips together and pronounce everything "splennnnndiiiiiiid." He often said that "splendid" was his favorite word, with "alacrity" a close second. I rather like "vociferous." It reminds me of my family. : )
3. Having published a good number of books, is there anything that still surprises you about the business?	You know, I only have eight books under my belt, and I still feel like a relative newbie sometimes! I think what surprises me most is when someone publishes a tried-and-true plot, like a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, or the story of two people who switch bodies/lives, or the serial killer/woman in jeopardy plot. You have this idea that you have to be wholly original (or that's the myth--it really does seem to be true that every story has been told before!), but editors and readers turn again and again to new, fresh takes on old, favorite plots. It's so interesting (and fun!) to me how we tell the same stories again and again. And the coolest thing about it is that they're still a joy to read. Take my friend Berta Platas, who wrote her own version of the Cinderella story, but with a Latina twist, called Cinderella Lopez. Even though we all know that Cinderella gets her prince in the end, Berta's book is so surprising, because of the fresh way in which she handles the story and her brilliant characterization. I can make myself insane over trying to come up with a plot NO ONE HAS EVER DONE BEFORE, and honestly, it's an impossible task. So reading a book like Cinderella Lopez is always a great lesson that no one tells a story the same way, so no matter how often a plot element has been recycled, every writer is going to make it into something wholly new. Unless you're Jayson Blair, I guess.
4. How is journalism different from fiction writing?	Um, I can't make stuff up? .. (Being that I'm not Jayson Blair, anyway.) I think I'm a much faster writer when it comes to my day job as a nonprofit magazine editor, because the deadlines come fast and furious--so I have to be as a matter of self-preservation. I tend to mull over an Intrigue plot for weeks, and work it, rework it, wrestle around with it, and beat it into submission--all in my head. I don't have the luxury of being able to indulge in a lengthy, internal pre-writing process with my nonfiction articles. Consequently, I'm a lot better at turning off my internal editor with a short article on, say, fair trade coffee farmers, and just spewing something out on paper. Another big difference, process-wise, is that fiction readers expect more of the same from you, but different. I think anyone who has read a few of my books and picks up another one would expect some kind of twisted, creepy psychological suspense with an emotional romance folded into it. If I suddenly cranked out a romantic comedy with no serial killers or rogue mafia dons or gang leaders with vendettas in it, I'd definitely disappoint and possibly turn off some readers who turn to me for a certain type of book. With journalism, on the other hand, our readers expect something wildly different every time. So one day I might be covering an environmental justice case in Tennessee (think Erin Brockovich with people of color), and the next, I'll be writing about how to throw an eco-conscious wedding! It's a good job for someone with a short attention span like m-- ... Hey, what's that sparkly thing over there?
5. In May you were part of the Women, Words and Wisdom Blog Tour. Can you tell us a little about that?	My first book was part of Kensington's now-defunct Encanto line, which was a line of category romances written by and about Latinas.The line didn't last long, but the friendships among the authors did, and we still keep in contact by email. We also created a list on Yahoo--NuncaSola--for any Latina writer wanting to virtually hang out with other Latina writers. It's not just for romance writers, but some prominent mainstream fiction writers and even a couple of New York editors have joined us. Every so often, the NuncaSola writers launch a blog tour to publicize our books together--and just because we find it fun. The Women, Words, and Wisdom tour took place around Mother's Day, and it was just a way of celebrating our writing, and the general creativity and fabulousness of women. Every day, one of us posted a fiction or nonfiction piece loosely tied to our theme, and then directed readers to the next stop on the tour. We gave away prizes, too! We did a blog tour last Christmas, too, and I'm sure we'll do another one this holiday season, if not before then. Anyone interested in joining NuncaSola can apply through YahooGroups or email me at TracyMontoya @ aol. com
6. Do you have a writing routine?	I WISH I did! But with a demanding day job, two preschoolers, and a husband who can sort of be like a third preschooler sometimes (bless his heart.), I just cram it in when I have time. I'm really hoping that when the next contract comes, I can downsize my day job a little so I can make constructing a writing routine--and bringing some rhythm and regularity to my fiction output--a priority.
7. What advice would you give an unpublished writer?	Something I don't always follow--write every day, even if it's just one crummy paragraph. When you exercise that writing muscle regularly, the process becomes so much easier. Ideas flow faster, words come together better. I have a friend who, inspired by something in Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, has a note stuck to her computer monitor that simply reads, "Sh*tty first draft." You have to give yourself permission to write the worst dreck in the world and just let go and write. Because having SOMETHING on the page to play with is always SO much easier than staring down a blank screen waiting for inspiration. Sometimes, you just have to go tackle inspiration and put it into a headlock until it cooperates. Writers write. They don't talk about writing. They don't just go to writing conferences and workshops or read books on writing. They write. You have to actually write, and you have to do it a lot.
8. If you were a red jelly bean, what flavor would you be and why?	Grape. Because I'm a red jelly bean, and I don't like to be predictable. I'm just contrary that way....
9. What question do you wish we would have asked you?	How does it feel to hit the New York Times bestseller list, and do you wish you were home in the US celebrating instead of in your vacation home in New Zealand?
10. Is there anything else you can share with our writing community?	The Intrigue authors have a blog to which I contribute regularly, and all during the month of July, we're doing a "blog blitz" where we're giving away books daily to people who comment. You can visit us at www.intrigueauthors.com/blog.asp. I have my own random and rather quirky blog at www.tracymontoya.blogspot.com.

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