Kathleen Eagle: I was teaching on my husband's reservation, but we had moved to Bismarck, 72 miles away. Even in North Dakota, that's a long commute. I wanted to cut back and teach two or three days a week, but the school couldn't work the schedule that way. I had already published a couple of books with Silhouette, and they were encouraging me to write more, so I decided to become a full-time writer. It was difficult because I loved teaching, and I missed the kids. For months I was in an odd funk. My husband hit the nail on the head when he diagnosed it as grief.

Writerspace: How many books have you had published to date? Of all of these, is there a particular one that is your favorite? If so, please tell us why.

Kathleen Eagle: I've written 39, and there's quite a variety among them--historicals, contemporaries, category, mainstream. I put my all into everything I do, so it's hard to favor one over the rest, but I do think SUNRISE SONG is a special book. It covered new ground, having to do with Hiawatha Insane Asylum for American Indians, which the government ran in South Dakota from 1902 through 1934. Almost nothing has been written about it, and I've received so much mail from readers who are touched by the story and amazed by the fact that a place like this existed and hardly anyone knows about it. The book has two love stories (although it's all part of one story, but you have to read it to see how that works), two time periods, so you really get your money's worth.

Writerspace: Please tell us about your new release, YOU NEVER CAN TELL.

Kathleen Eagle: We've known some of the more prominent American Indian activists, and I've wanted to create a character of that ilk for a long time. Since my husband has been doing a little "agitating" of his own lately, working for awareness of and improvements in Indian education, I decided it was time for Kole Kills Crow, my Indian activist. But Kole has been keeping a very low profile for the last ten years, ever since he escaped from prison, where he was doing a little time for his protesting deeds. He'd just as soon the non-Indian world would forget about him--especially whoever's been trying to kill him. But Heather Readon has been interested in writing his side of the story ever since her best friend confided that the child she's raising is Kole's daughter. When Heather finds Kole Kills Crow, aka Kola, the attraction is unmistakable, but YOU NEVER CAN TELL what kind of journey these two will embark upon.

Writerspace: I'd like to know more about Kola Kills Crow, your hero in YOU NEVER CAN TELL. How did you come up with his character, which I think was beautifully portrayed. Did someone or something (event) in particular inspire you to give him this personality?

Kathleen Eagle: We lived on Standing Rock Reservation during the heyday of the American Indian Movement, so we've met people like Dennis Banks, Russell Means, Clyde Bellecourt--the list goes on. Kole is none of these people, and he's all of them. Banks was unable to leave a reservation in New York for years because he was wanted in South Dakota on federal charges. We also know several wonderful traditional flute player and flute makers. We know an Indian newspaper editor. I used bits and pieces, pulled in the Hollywood connection, and lots of other details pulled from various incidents, mixed in lots of fantasy, and came up with Kola.

Writerspace: Prior to your career as a novelist, you taught on a North Dakota Indian Reservation and your family also has a strong Lakota Sioux heritage. When it comes to research for your novels, specifically YOU NEVER CAN TELL, how much of it is based on familial ties and how much of it is from outside/other sources?

Kathleen Eagle: You can't write good Indian characters unless you know Indian people. You can write popular Indian characters, commercial Indian characters (of course, that's part of what YOU NEVER CAN TELL is about) but they're not related to Indian people unless you actually know Indian people. So, yes, my family influences my characters. I had a brother-in-law on the gaming commission at Standing Rock when I wrote WHAT THE HEART KNOWS, which involves the Indian casino business. He helped me a great deal with that research. Indian cowboys are some of my favorite heroes because I've been married to one for 31 years. In ONCE UPON A WEDDING (coming out in July) I used so many details from our daughter's wedding because I wanted the feel of the bride and the wedding bridging two worlds, two families. And ONCE UPON A WEDDING isn't primarily about American Indian life--not like YOU NEVER CAN TELL--but I needed to include that aspect of the making of a wedding and the builing of mother-daughter relationships because that's the story I have to tell.

Writerspace: Have you ever created a secondary character whom you'd like to cast in the role of hero or heroine in their own story one day?

Kathleen Eagle: YES. Funny you should ask. I'm working on Tommy T's story's story right now. The precocious adolescent from THE NIGHT REMEMBERS, Tommy T is one secondary character that readers responded to bigtime. Now he's all grown up.

Writerspace: What did it feel like to sell your first novel? Do you remember what you were doing when you got the call?

Kathleen Eagle: Oh, yes. I had an agent, so he was the one who called. We had actually had offers from 2 publishers on it because the editor who had judged it in the final round of the Golden Heart competition (it won) wanted to publish it as a mainstream book. But my agent said that it would do better in series. Leslie Wainger bought SOMEDAY SOON for Special Edition, and it was published in 1984. She's been my editor at Silhouette ever since.

Writerspace: Who or what would you say has influenced you the most in terms of developing your personal writing?

Kathleen Eagle: I had some great English teachers, especially when I was in junior high and high school, who encouraged me to write. My husband, Clyde, picked up where they left off when he read a story I was writing for fun and encouraged me to try to publish it. He reads with an avid reader's sense of what's appealing, what holds a reader's attention, when things are bogging down, when something pulls him out of the story.

Writerspace: What three qualities do you feel are essential in creating the perfect hero?

Kathleen Eagle: He has to value something more than himself. He needs a sense of humor. He has to have a soft spot in his heart for animals and children.

Writerspace: Could you briefly tell your fans of a typical day in your life, outlining your writing schedule?

Kathleen Eagle:YES!!!!! When a deadline is looming, I write from the time I get up in the morning until my brain turns to much. The reason I have to do this is because until deadline reality sets in, I play around with ideas and charcters and my dogs, cat, horses, and the internet and my huband and our kids (who are all grown but still close) and eBay and e-mail and my writer friends...you get the picture.

Writerspace: What do you do to relax and unwind after a busy day working on your manuscript? Do you have any hobbies you'd like to tell us about?

Kathleen Eagle: I guess I mentioned most of my favorite unwinders when I was supposed to be talking about my writing schedule, which gives you an idea of how undisciplined I am.

Writerspace: What advice would you like to share with aspiring writers?

Kathleen Eagle: Get disciplined. Listen to Nora Roberts or Debbie Macomber about keeping schedules, and you'll produce so much more work than I do. If that doesn't work, then do whatever does work for you. For me, it's playing with the characters, the words, the ideas, working and playing both, living my life and using what I learn from all aspects of that. But write. Writewritewrite.

Writerspace: Do you have an autograph tour coming up? If so, may we please have an itinerary?

Kathleen Eagle: I do, and I love to meet real live readers in person. After ONCE UPON A WEDDING comes out in July, I'll be signing in Minneapolis, of course, and in Denver Tuesday, July 16, bookstores TBA, and Wednesday, July 17, Adams Mark Hotel, 5:00 in the Ballroom. Romance Writer's of America's annunal "Readers For Life" Literacy Autographing. July 25: Books & Company Dayton, OH. July 26, Hastings, Denton, TX. July 27, Waldenbooks North East Mall, Hurst, TX. July 28, Wal-Mart, SanAntonio, TX.

Writerspace: How may fans get in touch with you?

Kathleen Eagle: My e-mail is now kateagle@qwest.net. I hope to change that back to kathleen@kathleeneagle.com as soon as I get around to changing servers. My web site (where I have excerpts and my ever-evolving itinerary for appearances) is www.kathleeneagle.com.