STROKE OF MIDNIGHT

STROKE OF MIDNIGHT
Harlequin Blaze
December 2004
Buy Now

Writerspace: I really loved A FAMILY CHRISTMAS, it is a very heartwarming story for this time of year. How did you come up with the idea for this story?

Carrie Alexander: Thank you, Barb! A FAMILY CHRISTMAS is the third book in my North Country stories miniseries for Superromance, so the background and setting for this story was already established--a small Northern town on Lake Superior called Alouette. It's fictional, but based on towns I've visited...and one I currently live in. *G* That made writing this book a breeze (well, sorta).

Writerspace: Did you base Rose on anyone you knew?

Carrie Alexander: No, she's entirely imaginary, but fictional characters tend to spring from my experiences so she has a few familiar traits...maybe even from myself. There once was a woman in my hometown known as Wild Rose, which was a nickname I always thought had potential to make for a character with an intriguing background. My Wild Rose is not connected to that one in any other way, however. One part of her life *is* based on reality: the little stone cottages on the river. Although not exactly the way I've described them, they do exist. In fact, they're across the bay from my new house! Every time I go out to sunset point on my property, I see a couple of the stone cottages tucked away in the woods and give "Wild Rose" a wave hello. *G*

Writerspace: What was your favorite scene in A FAMILY CHRISTMAS?

Carrie Alexander: A lot of them had little moments that were so familiar to me, like going Christmas shopping to Marquette (which is a real town), kicking the chunks of snow off the car wheels, roaming the woods with a sketch pad. The parts about the fairy-tale mural that Rose paints in Lucy's room were special, since I'm an artist and I pictured every detail. But the one scene that stood out for me was when Evan takes Rose to meet her son at his adoptive parents' house. It had to be tense and emotional, but also restrained since Rose wasn't the type to get all mushy and gushy, y'know? Sometimes a scene comes out exactly as you have it in your head, and that was one for me.

Writerspace: You have written for a lot of the lines at Harlequin, do you have a particular favorite one to write for?

Carrie Alexander: Each of them satisfies a part of me, which is why I've always liked to switch from line to line over the course of year's writing. But the one that encompassed everything was Temptation, which was also the first line I sold to. Now that Harlequin has canceled Temptation, it's very sad to know that I've written my last one. How bittersweet that it happened to be my twenty-fifth book, SINFULLY SWEET.

Writerspace: Do you have any plans to branch out to other publishers like other authors have in recent years?

Carrie Alexander: Indeed I do. I recently finished a hot, hot, hot novella for a St. Martin's Press anthology, HONK IF YOU LOVE REAL MEN, to be published sometime in 2005. The co-authors are Pamela Britton, Susan Donovan and Julie Elizabeth Leto. My story is about a woman who spots a gorgeous road construction worker from a passing bus. Tall, dark and bronzed--she calls him an Aztec god. *G* I also have a couple of other projects in the works, so watch my website (www.carriealexander.com) for news.

Writerspace: What books do you have coming out in the next year?

Carrie Alexander: Aside from the anthology, there's another Sex & Candy book from Harlequin Blaze on the shelves next month: UNWRAPPED, featuring a "Chocolat" type of candy store. I have another Blaze in March 2005, the third book in the Lock and Key trilogy, which is about three foster sisters who find their perfect matches at a key party. Jamie Denton has book #1, HARD TO HANDLE, Shannon Hollis is second with ON THE LOOSE, and I'm the anchor author with SLOW RIDE. Mine has a heroine with curves aplenty, and a hero who knows how to appreciate them.

Writerspace: Do you have any advice for writers who have not been published yet?

Carrie Alexander: Read a lot, absorb the books you most admire, and then put them out of your mind and write with your own voice. Be creative and unique. Also, keep working at it! I know it's a struggle--finding the time, finding the inspiration, finding the discipline. Especially if you're getting rejections and feeling like you're fighting an endless battle. All I can say is that if you continue striving, the chances improve that the day will come when you reach the right editor with the right book at the right time. It's a bit like being struck by lightning. I was certainly shocked when I got "The Call." *G*

Writerspace: What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Carrie Alexander:I watch football every Sunday--huge Packer fan (yes, Michiganders are Packer fans, at least in the U.P.!) I love movies. Recently saw Alfie on the big screen (two hours of gazing at Jude Law--bliss) and Rodger Dodger on cable (an interesting look at the male mind). But my primary occupation lately is unpacking, since I just bought my dream house, with three acres on a river basin. I'll be stripping wallpaper, painting and redecorating for some time to come. Like Rose in A FAMILY CHRISTMAS, I'm planning a mural for one of the bedrooms.

Writerspace: Do you have any favorite television shows that you cannot miss?

Carrie Alexander:I tune in to HGTV almost every day, along with other design shows. I've been a Survivor fan from the beginning, but now I prefer The Amazing Race. In my dreams, I'm a world adventurer--in reality, I'm a hermit! Most of the other shows I used to watch are gone (I'm a Seinfeld aficionado), but I did get hooked on Lost and Desperate Housewives, along with everyone else.

Writerspace: Do you have any favorite places online that you like to hangout?

Carrie Alexander: LOL. I spend way too much time online, often at 2 a.m. I couldn't live without my favorite writer loops. There's a special group of online pals who post on my AOL message board. You know who are, TIBS! New faces are always welcome, so if you use AOL you can find us at keyword: Books, then look for my name in the author list. I try to post at eHarlequin too, but there never seems to be enough time to go as frequently as I'd like. Last but not least, I always enjoy the chats at Writerspace!

Writerspace: Thank you so much Carrie for answering these questions. For more information about Carrie's upcoming books and contests go to her website at www.carriealexander.com.