Get To Know Your GDRWA Board Members: Spotlight on Patti Shenberger, President

by By Renee Uitto

Another in our series of interviews designed to expose the "truth" behind some of the more familiar faces of GDRWA. This month, Renee asks Patti Shenberger, our venerable president, the nitty gritty about writing and e-publishing.

When did you decide to become a romance novelist?

I have been writing all my life but really fell in love with it in middle school. I created (brace yourselves) "Star Trek" adventures as well as "Starsky and Hutch" with a female heroine riding shot gun. Then in high school I started taking creative writing and have been hooked ever since.

What genres of romance do you enjoy writing?

I enjoy writing in all genres. I also write nonfiction magazine length work as well.

What lines are you targeting?

At present, I have a manuscript with Mills & Boon Harlequin Romance, as well as a full that has been requested by Silhouette Intimate Moments. Still finishing up the final touches on that one.

How do you balance a full-time job, family life, and writing?

If you call what I'm doing balancing, then that's a great compliment. Both my kids are now out of the house which frees up a considerable amount of my time, and my hubby works late (till 9:30) most nights so the house is my own. I tend to find myself writing more on weekends when the chores are all done and the house is quiet. Work at present is crazy (I work for a real estate company and now is starting to be our busy time). And of course whenever I go on vacation I take a notebook as well as books to keep my lounging time occupied. (G)

Do you participate in a critique group?

Yes, I am in a critique group with 3 fantastic women. They keep me grounded and moving forward. They know how to nudge me forward when I need it and keep me sane when times get tough. I don't think I would be as far as I am without that in my life. And I'm proud to call them my friends as well as critique partners.

Do you plot before writing your novels?

You know, I really don't. I start with a kernel of an idea and go from there. I might play out a scene in my mind and go forward without and conscious thought of how I'm going to get there. But I also have a tendency to bring the synopsis before I write the book. Sometimes the book stays the same, most times it doesn't.

What inspirations do you have as a writer? Frustrations?

Inspirations - hmm, I love writing about the real world, the real problems women have, the issues they have with weight, life, kids, boyfriends. Frustrations for me are finding the time to write, I have a home office I love but never seem to get to use.

How many books, stories, and articles have you had published?

I have one book WOMB FOR RENT published by Hard Shell Word Factory, written under my pen name of Amanda Brian, my kids' names, and over 75 articles in print as well.

What was it like publishing with Hard Shell Word Factory?

My experience with Hard Shell was great. I wrote the book in 1997, put it through all the conventional methods in 1998. Hard Shell was new on the market so I sent it off to them (first as a three chapter partial via email, then the whole book in one file via email.) And one day shy of my birthday, I got an email saying they wanted to buy it. Of course I said yes, and then the edits began. Everything was done via the email which was great. The contract came in the mail shortly thereafter. The book came out in hard disk format in October of 1999, and later as a two book set in 2001.

E-publishing is great after you have gone the route of the traditional publishers. They let you push the envelope further and of course the response time is faster. But the downside is some are not RWA recognized (Hard Shell is one that isn't) and you get no advance, just a royalty based on sales. I won't be able to retire on what I make from Hard Shell, but I do get to buy the little extra things I want without putting a dent in the household budget. So yes, after you have gone the traditional route, try e-publishing. Mary Wolf (the publisher) is great to work with, she allows her authors a ton of input as to cover copy, blurbs, bios, everything. Her son Dirk is the illustrator and I couldn't be happier with my cover. I would definitely recommend Hard Shell to anyone who is looking.

Can you expand on the types of articles that you write and the magazines they're published in?

Mostly I have been writing travel articles, author interviews, and health and beauty tips. I've been published in Women's Healthstyles, Women's Touch, You (Africa), Big Apple Parent, Metro Parent, Romantic Times, Affaire de Coeur, Magical Blend, Dollar Stretcher, Natural Health, and BBW. I love the diversity as it keeps me on my toes and always searching for more articles to write and ways to earn extra income.

Besides getting more books published, what are your other goals as a writer?

I would love to publish more books! And I really enjoy writing nonfiction magazine length work. It keeps everything fresh and interesting. I love being part of RWA and GDRWA and it truly gives me pleasure to see other writers blossom and grow.

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

I joined RWA in 1995 and GDRWA about a month later. One of our past members Shelly Thacker got me hooked on RWA and showed me how to find GDRWA and it was all uphill from there.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I (as president) of GDRWA would love to ask that everyone jump on the bandwagon and participate in running GDRWA. We can't do it alone and volunteers are what keep us going strong. And of course, it's important to remember that for every rejection letter you get it means you are getting closer to the brass ring, since you are still striving for a book contract.

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