Interview with Karrie Flower, BTS Coordinator

by Renee Uitto

This month we ask Between The Sheets coordinator Karrie Flower about her writing life.

What made you decide to become a romance novelist?

I've always wanted to write books. I guess that I'm a romantic at heart and I've always loved romance books. Also, I'm grateful for all the authors who wrote the books that gave me hours of enjoyment. I would like to do that for someone else.

When did you first start writing romance novels?

I began to write about eight years ago, but it was sporadic for many years.

What genre of romance do you write?

I like to write character driven single title contemporary books with lots of characters and men who are real, faults and all.

What is your writing schedule like?

I've found that writing in the morning works better for me. I get up at 7:00 am and walk across the hallway in my pj’s to my office and get to work. The amount of time I have each day differs, but I write five days a week anywhere from two to eight hours.

Do you have another job? Please explain.

I began my career as a school librarian and then became involved in business for the major portion of my working life. At the present time I am a part-time bookkeeper.

Do you participate in a critique group? Please explain.

No, I'm not part of a critique group but I do have three people who read my work on a regular basis. Plus my husband often lends an ear!

Do you plot before writing your novels? Please explain.

I write a full background on each character and then I broadly sketch the plot. I am always amazed at the characters who weren't planned, but who find their way into the story.

What inspirations do you have as a writer? Frustrations?

I would say that I am inspired by the story and the compulsion to put it on paper. I hand write, so I sometimes find it helpful to change my location, often sitting on my porch to write. I enjoy writing so much that at the present time my frustration level is low, but re-writing has become tedious to me at times.

When did you join RWA and GDRWA? How did you find out about these organizations?

I joined RWA and GDRWA about a year and a half ago. I found out about RWA when I was on vacation and had the wonderful opportunity to sit and talk with an author. Joining these two groups gave me answers to questions that allowed me to move forward toward being published.

How did you become interest in being a coordinator for the Between The Sheets contest?

The Between the Sheets contest was the first of several contests I entered this year. In the process of going on line and finding out about other contests, I learned how some chapters set up their contests and the advice they gave about entering. GDRWA was looking for someone to help Starr with BTS, so I felt I had something to offer.

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