Thank you, Barbara for stopping by!
Where are you from
and from where/who did your love for writing come from?
I was born in New
York City (Queens, to be exact) and my love for writing was definitely nurtured
by the wonderful libraries we had at our disposal. My parents were both great
readers and our apartment was always filled with books. When I was a kid, Friday
night was library night. After supper we'd walk the six blocks to the Elmhurst
Branch of the Queensborough Public Library system and greedily grab as many
books as we could carry to see us through the week. I clearly remember sitting
on the floor in the hallway between the adult section and the children's room,
immersed in back issues of The Writer Magazine, dreaming of the day I'd see my
own name in print.
I'm
almost embarrassed to tell you how easy it was. Sure, I had my share of
rejection slips on my non-fiction and short stories, but I got lucky with my
first book. I sent LOVE CHANGES off to Vivian Stephens at Harlequin on the last
Thursday in February 1982 and got "The Call" every writer dreams
about the following Monday!
How do you overcome i-suck-it is, that little voice in your head that
tells you your writing isn’t good enough?
You
don't. Or at least I don't. My Internal Censor is a persistent and powerful
force who not only criticizes what I'm currently writing but wakes me in the
middle of the night to criticize books I wrote ten and fifteen years ago!
What is your dream vacation?
The
month of October on the coast of Maine with my husband, our pets, a
well-stocked Kindle and lots of knitting projects. I know that may not sound
very exciting but to me it's a version of heaven.
Describe your writing
style in five words.
Open. Accessible.
Emotional. Conversational. Fun.
What movies are you currently excited to see?
The
new Star Trek. Any excuse to spend time with Spock.
What are you currently reading?
I'm
rereading Robert B. Parker's incredible Spenser series. I never get tired of
Spenser and Hawk and Susan and Belson and Quirk and . . . Parker was simply the
best of the best.
If you weren’t a writer, what other careers would you pursue?
I'm
not sure if there's another career field that would have me. But, despite my
lack of anything resembling even one single degree of musical talent, I would
love to sing back-up for The Temptations or Gladys Knight. Or maybe be one of
the pro dancers on Dancing With The Stars. (I dance worse than I sing.)
If you could create a holiday of your own, what would it be called?
I
didn't create it but I adopted Festivus. (Thanks, Frank Costanza.) I'm
especially drawn to the Airing of Grievances. (I'm not sure my family ever made
it through a more traditional holiday without airing at least one or two of
'em.)
For people who haven’t read your novel, how would you summarize the
plot?
A
divorced couple find themselves swept back to the 18th century where they join
up with a Patriot Spy Ring in a plot against the British and in the process
fall back in love.
What are two of your pet-peeves?
Able-bodied
drivers who park in handicapped spots. Knots in the middle of a beautiful (and
expensive) skein of yarn.
To you, what makes a good story?
Characters.
Characters. Characters. Without people I can identify with, the story is
doomed.
What usually turns you off about a story?
Bad
dialogue. Nothing takes me out of the story world quicker than clumsy, awkward
dialogue. Fictional dialogue is real life without the boring parts. When it's
right, it sounds like music to the ear. When it's wrong -- ouch!
If you could collaborate with any author, who would you choose, and
why?
The
late Robert B. Parker because I want to know Hawk's background.
The
late Laurie Colwin because she made it all seem so effortless.
What is on your night stand?
Barbara
Delinsky's Sweet Salt Air. I love her books.
What is your favorite book?
Good
question. I don't think it's possible to narrow it down to just one. But some
of my favorites are:
Early
Autumn - Robert B. ParkerWhen the Sacred Gin Mill Closes - Lawrence Block
Wizard of Oz - L. Frank Baum
Family Happiness - Laurie Colwin
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith
Crosse Harbor Time Travel Trilogy
Book One
Barbara Bretton
Genre: Time Travel/Romance
Publisher: Free Spirit Press
ISBN: 9781301712953
ASIN: B008ELA6VK
Page count: 300-320
Word count: Approx. 80,000
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/tI8lHp9aSD4
Book Description:
Historian Emilie Crosse dreamed of a love that would last forever
Who knew she'd have to sail across two centuries to find it?
When her ex-husband Zane Grey Rutledge showed up at her door with a Revolutionary War uniform that was part of his grandmother's estate, neither one suspected that their lives were about to change in ways they couldn't possibly imagine.
Swept back in time to 1776 where a nation is struggling to be born, Emilie finds herself torn between two men: Zane, her ex who still holds the key to her heart, and Andrew McVie, the Patriot hero of her long-ago dreams . . . .
Reviewers Choice Award - Best Historical Time Travel
--Romantic Times
Amazon BN Smashwords
Tomorrow and AlwaysCrosse Harbor Time Travel Trilogy
Book Two
Barbara Bretton
Genre: Time Travel/Romance
Publisher: Free Spirit Press
ISBN: 9781301018895
ASIN: B008ELGJ0M
Page count: 300-320
Word count: Approx. 80,000
Book Description:
Timeless Lovers . . .
Different Worlds
Shannon Whitney didn't believe she had a future until Andrew McVie crash-lands his time-traveling hot-air balloon in her backyard one summer afternoon and changes her life forever.
He is a Revolutionary War patriot
She is an independent modern woman
Their paths should never have crossed but apparently fate has other plans.
Amazon BN Smashwords
Destiny’s ChildCrosse Harbor Time Travel Trilogy
Book Three
Barbara Bretton
Genre: Time Travel/Romance
Publisher: Free Spirit Press
ISBN: 9781301054299
ASIN: B008ELGLGY
Page count: 300-320
Word count: Approx. 80,000
Book Description:
It's not every day a woman goes traveling through time
Dakota Wylie is a wisecracking, unemployed, overweight psychic librarian from Princeton
Patrick Devane is an angry, hard-headed spy with a six-year-old daughter who hears voices
The only thing they have in common is New Jersey
But when Dakota leaps from the basket of a hot air balloon to help his crying child, little does she know that she's leaping into history . . . and love.
Amazon BN Smashwords
About the Author:Barbara Bretton is the USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of more than 40 books. She currently has over ten million copies in print around the world. Her works have been translated into twelve languages in over twenty countries.
Barbara has been featured in articles in The New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Romantic Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Herald News, Home News, Somerset Gazette, among others, and has been interviewed by Independent Network News Television, appeared on the Susan Stamberg Show on NPR, and been featured in an interview with Charles Osgood of WCBS, among others.
Her awards include both Reviewer's Choice and Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times; Gold and Silver certificates from Affaire de Coeur; the RWA Region 1 Golden Leaf; and several sales awards from Bookrak. Ms. Bretton was included in a recent edition of Contemporary Authors.
Barbara loves to spend as much time as possible in Maine with her husband, walking the rocky beaches and dreaming up plots for upcoming books.
WEB: www.barbarabretton.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/barbarabretton
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/barbarabretton
GOODREADS: www.goodreads.com/Barbara_Bretton
RAVELRY: www.ravelry.com/wickedsplitty
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